Everdark
by Celsius009
Summary: Halloween-fic. The group's plan on celebrating a Sylvarant holiday takes a turn for the worse when they encounter the Slenderman myth.
1. Room and Board

**A couple years ago I started a Halloween fi****c that was never finished. This year I wanted to correct that with improved storyline and overall writing. I hope you enjoy this short story counting down the days to Halloween!**

**And as always feedback is appreciated, corrections to verbiage, opinions on style, all that. My grasp on the rules of grammar is surprisingly poor, ask my incredible beta Twilight Scribe. Any mistakes found likely slipped through the barrage of corrections Scribe had to make and are in no way reflective of anyone's proofreading ability other than my own.**

**With that, let the second-take for Everdark begin!**

* * *

Long red hair trailed to the ground behind the park bench as the upturned head above it grimaced at the lack of sun rays coming through the overcast sky. A loud, pointed yawn directed at the younger friend sitting on the ground beside him got no reaction. Opening one eye he checked his companion before speaking.

"Y'know Lloyd, when you described this 'holiday' I thought it'd be something a little less... Depressing."

"Sorry Luin isn't Altamira..." Lloyd responded quietly, lifting a small flat rock with a chunk of mortar stuck along the side. It used to be part of someone's home. "Guess it's gonna take a little longer than we thought to get the town back on its feet."

"Show some respect Zelos, this town has seen a lot of hardship." a young boy chimed in from behind the bench, coming around and pushing the older man's outstretched arms from off the side. He kicked Zelos' foot to close his splayed legs and suddenly the bench could easily seat three more people. He sat down beside him while Lloyd took the other side much to the annoyance of the occupant.

"It's alright Genis, I did make out the holiday to seem much bigger than it is right now..." Lloyd watched a caravan in the distance make its way across the bridge to the city carrying building supplies. "But I think the people are more concerned with rebuilding their town than celebrating holidays."

"There, see? It's Lloyd's fault." Zelos said quickly before reaching an arm up to gesture lazily towards themselves as the other part of their group entered the park. It wasn't necessary as they were the only people in sight, but the other group noticed and continued heading in their direction. Speaking louder as they approached he commented "My only demand is that we sleep inside. Sheena told me that she's sore, her hair has knots, and it's going to rain tonight."

"No, I'm pretty sure that was you telling me that earlier today." The young woman responded rolling her eyes. "And demand denied, unless you want to huddle in the inn with every other refugee this town is hosting. Raine did what she could for the people we ran into but that place is part hospital, part homeless shelter. They only had one regular room available."

Raine looked solemnly down at them holding her staff. "As undesirable as some would find it on a Sylvarant holiday, it may be in our interest to simply make camp outdoors again."

"Can't miss what we've never experienced." the large man spoke stoically behind her. "Though I would have liked to have seen the gem of Sylvarant at its prime, I won't judge by what I've seen today." He Lloyd and Genis a lopsided smile.

"Thanks Regal. You should come back next year. Hopefully the people will be in a position to afford festivities by that time." Genis said, blushing slightly as he added, "You should come too Presea."

The small girl nodded mutely before looking around.

Lloyd noticed it too and leaned to the side to check behind Regal. "Wasn't Colette with you guys?"

The second group looked behind them then to each other.

"She was with us just a second–!" Raine started before hearing conversation behind them up the path from where they came. Colette's girlish giggle sounded down the stone walkway and Raine and Regal moved to find the source.

"Bring me back a clean inn!" Zelos called after them putting his head back against the stone bench.

Regal rounded the bend first to see Colette talking to a very tall, very skinny stranger.

"Good afternoon." Regal announced his formidable presence taking a place beside Colette. Though the man was a full head taller than Regal he met his gaze evenly.

"Colette, is everything alright?" Raine asked quietly as Regal greeted the man.

"M-hm! This is my new friend. He overheard us talking to the innkeeper and mentioned he had a place to stay tonight." Colette answered cheerfully. Raine considered her, then the man over Regal's broad shoulder. The girl could stumble into very lucky circumstances, but her judge of character was as terrible as ever. Raine wouldn't be comfortable in the same city as this man, let alone a house.

"That's very kind of you to offer but we're with a larger group, and we prefer stay together." Regal nodded cordially.

"Oh you misunderstand," the stranger said with a wide smile that stretched across his entire lean face, "You are all welcome, of course. These are difficult times for everyone, I merely wish to aid those I can. There's a road south of the city, follow it through the forest and after some time you'll reach the mansion. It's just one path, you can't lose it. Please, just consider it an open invitation." With that he bowed deeply and strode away silent as the wind.

Regal watched after him eyes narrowed before accompanying Raine and Colette back to the others. Before he could stop her Colette was already telling them about the large mansion they could be staying at tonight. Regal shot a glance towards Raine who returned an apologetic expression.

* * *

As they walked south along the forested path in the cloudy afternoon the younger members of the group were all talking excitedly despite Regal's and Raine's warnings. Neither of the adults trusted the stranger but simply refusing to come along and leaving the naïve ones to go ahead wasn't an option either.

"Did he say if they had hot water?" Zelos asked longingly, closing his eyes as they walked and running imaginary water through his hair.

"Yep, and really really big beds." Colette answered, walking with a hop to her step as if already picturing herself jumping on them.

Zelos sidled up to Sheena with a nudging elbow, "Eh? Ehhh?"

"Not even a little bit." She responded, almost making him trip as she fell away from his last elbow and circled around to Genis' other side. "Still, I've never stayed in a mansion before. Do they have big group bedrooms? I'm not so sure about splitting up."

"We'd be one door apart from each other, that isn't close enough?" Genis asked glancing behind him for his older sibling's opinion. "Sis?"

Raine turned from Regal. "We'll see the room layout when we get there. Worse to worst we'll be sharing beds tonight." Zelos opened his mouth happily before she cut him off, "You can sleep alone or with the boys Zelos."

"Fine, maybe I will sleep alone..." He responded nose in the air imitating her cold demeanor. He fell back and leaned towards her loudly whispering, "But knock three times if you want to change that." before hurrying forward out of her staff's reach.

"Lloyd, you're being unusually quiet." Presea noted looking up to him as they walked ahead of the group.

"Hm? Oh it's nothing." He said, smiling as he shook his head. "This forest was just reminds me of an old story from when I was a kid... A scary 'legend' adults told us around the village this time of year to keep us from misbehaving. This holiday involves a lot of mischief and they wanted to keep us from making too big of a mess. It worked... Most of the time."

"Only most?" Presea asked cocking her head.

"Lloyd you're not telling her that kid story are you?" Genis asked from behind them.

"Just knock five–"

"No."

"Four–"

"No, Zelos."

"Fine fine, just knock once. After all, you're my number one gir–"

Sheena rolled her eyes dodging under Zelos' outstretched arm and quickened her step to catch up to Lloyd and Genis. "What are you guys swapping the scary stories already? Save it for the campfire!"

"It's not a scary story..." Colette muttered from Lloyd's other side, looking down as they walked. "It's a real story."

Everyone had gone silent now as their feet patted the overgrown gravel-path, all ears on Lloyd who cleared his throat and frowned ahead, wondering where to start.

"Growing up we had a friend in Iselia. Matthew. He didn't have any parents, didn't like chores or homework, and we got in all sorts of trouble together." Lloyd began, small smile forming at the edges of his mouth.

"He got Lloyd in more trouble than Lloyd could ever do alone, to give it some perspective." Genis added.

Lloyd ignored him. "One year around this time, the village was getting ready for the holiday. He cooked up this scheme that would have turned the entire village upside down for weeks. If we'd been caught we'd probably be banished, but to look back on it would have kept us laughing for hours. Or we imagined all that anyway. We never got that far..."

"_C'mon Lloyd what's the hold up?"_

"_I'm... almost... done!" Lloyd grunted giving the rope one final tug with his small arms. High above him hung a massive closed net holding every feather they'd saved for the last four months suspended between two trees at the edge of the forest at the top of the hill. Satisfied with the height Lloyd tied the end around a nearby sapling, making sure it wouldn't budge. Beside the sapling a torch stood in the ground, stolen from the village gates to act as their makeshift signal later on. In the near distance people could be seen milling about the town square in Iselia,setting up tables and moving food and decorations about._

"_The festival's going to start in a few hours and we don't even have the oil ready yet!" the older boy chided angrily, giving Lloyd a hand with the rope. "How's this gonna be remembered as the bestest prank ever if we don't do it?"_

"_Good point." Lloyd nodded seriously, wiping the sweat off his hands. "What next?"_

_His friend didn't answer. Lloyd looked over from where he gathered up their extra rope to see him standing, facing away towards the darkening forest. Knowing the first rule of hunting was to never spook the target Lloyd quietly stepped toward his friend._

"_What is it?" he whispered._

_No answer._

"_Matt... What is it?" Upon hearing his name his friend jerked, seeing Lloyd beside him._

"_Did you hear that?"_

"_Hear what?"_

"That."_Matthew said louder, "That right there!" He pointed in the direction the sound was apparently coming from._

"_What's it sound like?" Lloyd asked quietly still, thinking it must be much softer than he was listening for._

"_It's a voice dummy!" Matthew said sounding annoyed and wiping his nose. "It's calling us, you don't hear it?"_

_Lloyd stared at him, unsure who between them was losing it. "What's it saying?"_

_Matthew listened again. "Come to me."_

_Lloyd waited a moment. "That's it?"_

"_I think we should go to it." Matt said seriously, a trail of blood trickling from his nose before he quickly wiped it away._

"_I think that's a stupid idea." Lloyd responded clipping the older boy's ear. "The prank? Who's going to pull it off if we're off lost in the woods chasing imaginary friends?"_

"_I'm not imagining it!" Matt exclaimed angrily rubbing his head, glaring between Lloyd and the forest._

"_Whatever. C'mon we need to get the roof's oiled up, it should be dark enough now that no one will see us." Lloyd said getting a fresh grip on the rope. "Matt, come _on_!"_

_Matt took a step towards him still staring into the trees before turning and following him back to the village. "It's too bad your friend Genis couldn't help us. His magic would be useful."_

"_Yeah, maybe he could make a spell that just shoots oil everywhere. That'd be neat. I shoulda asked him..." Lloyd muttered in disappointment at having not thought of it sooner._

_They spent the next hour subtly boosting each other onto houses with buckets of oil, making designs or just outright covering the roofs with the stuff. Night had fallen now and a call went out that the festival was starting._

_The two descended from the mayor's roof where they'd simply dumped the remainder of the oil. Lloyd nodded, knowing his role but suddenly felt very unsure about Matthew's. "Matt, are you sure–"_

"_Lloyd don't, we spent a year making this plan."_

"_I can be the one who cuts the–"_

"_Just do your job, I'll do mine, and we'll meet back up in the square. First one to get a dance with Colette doesn't have to do Raine's homework for a week." Matthew grinned boyishly at Lloyd before dipping around the building without another word._

_Lloyd was fairly certain neither of them had permission to excuse the other from Raine's homework assignments, but he ran to the back of town where he'd collected four pigs from the forest the week prior. They were numbered 1, 2, 3 and 5. Matt's idea, to make the joke last longer._

_Looking up at the hillside in the distance he waited for the signal. He could hear laughter and music from the square and he very much wished to join in, but not before the torch was... Ah._

_Smiling he cut the pigs free, giving each a pat on the side to get them going. One looked at him. Another rolled onto its side and began snoring. Well hopefully they'd move a little further apart by the time people starting finding them in the morning or the joke would be short lived._

_Lloyd scanned the sky as he approached the party, expecting to see feathers drifting down on them at any time, but nothing came. He didn't think it'd take that long, the wind was right, the feathers were the right type... Maybe there was a snag with the net. Frowning at the potential hiccup he nearly bumped into Colette._

"_Heya Lloyd! What're you looking at?" She asked curiously looking up at the sky as well._

"_Wha? Oh nothing! Just it's a pretty night, is all." Lloyd nodded convincingly, blushing as she stared at him._

"_Oh. Well come over here, I'm showing Genis how to dance!" Colette giggled, leading Lloyd by the hand through the crowd._

_Throughout the night Lloyd scanned the crowd for Matthew, but that grinning face never appeared. Nor did he find a single feather on the way back to Genis' house where he'd be spending the night._

_The next morning, rather than waking up Genis, Lloyd went out for a walk. It was early and most of the adults were still sleeping in from the late night. A layer of fog had settled in as Lloyd made his way up the path out of the edge of town, past where pigs 3 and 5 were sleeping side by side. Matt had never shown up last night, there was no sense in dragging him all the way back up here, he just wanted to see for himself what went wrong. Was the knife not big enough? Did the net break after they'd left?_

_Frowning at the moist dirt path before him he distinctly made out his and Matt's footprints going to and from the site yesterday, and there was where Matt hiked back up alone but..._

_Lloyd drew closer to where he knew the torch and sapling were, squinting to see the shapes in the fog. He came up to the torch, black from having burned all night. Moving to the left he nearly tripped over the rope partially hidden in the fog around his short leg. Running a hand along the length of it he felt condensation but no frays or attempts at cutting. The furrow in his brow deepened as he followed it up, making out the net intact above him._

_A twig snapped making him spin, scanning the gray forest. Fog tendriled around tree trunks and low hanging branches making the entire forest seem to be slowly breathing. He drew his carving knife and held it up menacingly, secretly panicked. Each roil in the mist would turn a harmless shape into something terrifying for a briefest of seconds before it resumed its aimless drifting, leaving the mind wondering if it had seen anything after all._

_For what had to have been a full minute he stood there in the forest's unnatural silence, not even morning birds making calls, until he regained feeling in his legs. He took one step back keeping his eyes on the forest for any signs of pursuit and tore back to the village with as much speed as his legs would grant him._

As Lloyd ended his story silence not unlike what he'd just finished describing settled over the party as they walked. "That night was the last time I saw him."

Sheena was the first to speak after a long pause. "That's awful Lloyd... No one tried looking for him?"

"The entire village did for three days. Each morning we'd set out and each evening we'd come back without a trace. After a while we just... Stopped looking." Colette trailed away.

Genis looked determinedly forward. "I'm not convinced he isn't just living happily abroad somewhere. We've seen no proof that hasn't happened."

"We've seen no proof it has." Raine said quietly behind them. Only Regal heard her.

Zelos drew near Sheena again, talking out of the side of his mouth so that only she could hear him. "This is one of those moments where I don't talk and let everyone think about sad things–?"

"Yes." She answered curtly.

Straightening and making several strides away from her and Raine he announced loudly, "Lloyd your holidays are terrible."

"Zelos!" Sheena exclaimed, stooping to pick up a small rock.

"No I mean it, hear me out!" He chuckled lightheartedly, bending his knees in anticipation to dodge. As she held the rock on standby he continued, keeping a wary eye on her hand. "Remember me telling you about our holidays? They celebrate things! Yours are about missing people and things in the past that make you remember bad times. I said it earlier but it's true, it's depressing. Everyone," he took two bounds to the opposite side of the path, "who wants to _celebrate_ this holiday with me can walk on my side. Everyone who wants to be depressed can stay all mopey over there." He waved a dismissive hand in Lloyd's direction.

"Zelos you seriously think anyone's gonna–" Genis started but stopped himself as Lloyd walked over to Zelos' side.

Lloyd cast a look back at the others and cleared his throat. "Zelos is right. This is supposed to be a holiday. We've been through enough hard times trying to save the worlds. We deserve a break too." He grinned at them before Zelos threw an arm around his neck.

"That's what I'm talking about!" Zelos agreed gesturing to the others. "C'mon guys, it's happier on this side of the road!"

"That's really dumb, Zelos." Genis scowled as he continued walking.

"Ignore him, he's stuck in his sad ways. Too many poor decisions in life." Zelos said mournfully. "Sheena, baby? Colette, hunny?"

"Zelos, we're ten feet from you going the same direction, we don't need to walk on that side of the road." Sheena answered, holding Colette's wrist to stop her midstep from walking towards Zelos' direction.

"But it's happier over here. Plus, we got Lloyd."

Colette leaned in with a serious expression to Sheena. "They have Lloyd."

"There's no 'they,' it's just Zelos, and Lloyd's right there!" Genis explained irritably. "Zelos, stop being stupid."

"Genis, stop being cranky!" Zelos stuck his tongue out at him before spotting Presea talking to Raine a little ways back. "Hey li'l darling, what's wrong?"

Raine stood with her staff, ushering Presea forward as they caught up with the group. "Minor nosebleed. The change in elevation can cause it."

"Everything okay Presea?" Genis asked, voice full of concern as they rounded a large tree.

But before she could answer they realized they'd reached their destination. They stood at a clearing in the woods leading up to the largest mansion any of them had ever seen before. They couldn't see how far back it went, but the front was nearly the width of the Meltokio castle. The architecture was very old, with faded red paint visible between vine-choked walls, dirt caked along the masonry lining the rooftop, and ominously dark windows showing no signs of occupancy.

They all stood dumbstruck for a moment taking it in until thunder in the far distance made the forest tremble.

"There's someone in Sylvarant who's..." Zelos gulped, "Richer than me?"

The trees began to rustle as a light rain started falling around them. "Hardly what's important here, Zelos." Raine commented holding her bag above her head. "Let's try the front door."

They hurried across the grass, up the overgrown stone stairs and to the large wooden doors. Zelos knocked three times and stood close to Regal whose massive frame blocked some of the droplets that made it past the overhang.

"There's no way they heard that. The door must be a foot thick." Genis said, stepping forward and failing to reach the heavy brass knockers halfway up the door. "Use those."

"No." Zelos said simply, closing his eyes and turning away.

"Zelos–" Genis opened his mouth angrily.

"I refuse." The noble sniffed, hands on his hips. "No self respecting member of high society uses knockers."

"He doesn't have one." Sheena whispered winking at Lloyd as she pushed forward, grabbing the large handle and lifting. No sooner had the metal met plaque than the door creaked open.

A mousy haired girl poked her head around the door. Seeing them, her face broke into a warm smile. "Oh hello." She stood back and motioned them inside. "Come in come in, dreadful weather today." Behind her the entry hall was brightly lit, lamps high on the walls shining upon a magnificent crystal chandelier hanging over the center of the room. Two large, rounded staircases led to an upper level in the back of the room.

As they walked over the threshold they took in the girl wearing maid's attire who had greeted them. She bowed and smiled again taking them all in.

"Traveler?"

"Yes, we met the mansion's owner earlier today in town. He mentioned he had room in his house for guests?" Colette asked, scraping her shoes on the mat outside before entering.

"You met Mr. Ever?" The maid asked quickly, eyes darting to Colette. Her eyes never met theirs, instead fixating on other parts of their faces. "Did he say when he'd return?" She asked Colette's mouth.

"Um... No..." Colette tried dipping slightly to make their eyes meet but the maid's eyes adjusted accordingly. Giving up she continued, "Just that there may be some room available for our friends? We wouldn't mind paying you for the trouble." Colette said half apologetically, as if she was supposed to have asked Mr. Ever when he'd be coming home.

The maid's faltered smile returned to normal as she nodded. "Oh, he's probably still out hunting."

"Hunting?" Lloyd asked, looking to Regal and Raine who were watching the maid carefully. "Today was terrible weather for hunting. And on a holiday?"

"Some people have peculiar tastes." Regal stated, still watching the maid who had rested her eyes on his chin.

"He should be back any minute now. Shall I show you to your room?" The maid asked timidly eyes returning to Colette's mouth.

"Oh, yes please! Rooms, if there are others available." Colette bowed in relief before making to follow the maid down a side hallway off to their left.

"Men stay this way..."

The group followed suit, Regal and Raine exchanging a long glance before moving after them. The maid set a brisk pace and it took everything short of a jog to keep up with her.

"So, what kinda eccentric millionaire builds their legacy out in the boonies?" Zelos asked running a finger along a windowsill to check for dust. He sniffed when his glove came up clean.

"Mr. Ever is a generous man, but he prefers anonymity. And the lady of the house enjoys her privacy." The maid quickly added turning as she spoke, "Not to worry, she mostly keeps to herself upstairs. Just don't disturb their quarters."

They rounded another corner and passed an open doorway where a kitchen full of staff were bustling about preparing food. It somehow made the house feel that much safer, knowing someone other than the socially awkward maid and elusive Mrs. Ever were the only people in the house.

"We'll be having dinner at sundown, courtesy of Mr. Ever." The maid addressed their lingering gazes as she continued around another corner.

"This place is starting to feel like a maze." Sheena half joked glancing out a window they passed to check how far away sundown was.

"Just keep turning right." Presea said flatly standing on her toes to peek out the window into the forest. She continued looking for a moment longer before following the rest of the group.

"Or just open a window and walk around the side of the house." Zelos grinned rapping his knuckles across a window pane. He took a step past the window before doing a double take, leaning backward to look out again.

"Not too much longer before dinner Zelos, c'mon we haven't even found your room yet." Sheena called behind her as the group rounded into another hall.

"Yeah! Right..." Zelos' smile faltered as he looked out the window one more time, scanning the forest. After another moment he followed Presea's bobbing pigtails around the corner.

"Here we are."

Colette looked past the door the maid held open. It was about the size of her old house, complete with a full sofa and coffee table. "Wow it's... Really big. Does Mr. Ever keep rooms like this just for guests?"

"My name's Tiff. Please let me or another servant know if you require provisions." She smiled again as if oblivious to Colette's question and looked to Sheena's nose. "Shall I show you to your room?"

"Uh, sure." Sheena said, looking between Colette's room and the door a few yards down the hall. "Is it this one right here?" The maid didn't answer but stopped at the door Sheena had been referring to. She opened the door to reveal a room identical to Colette's.

"Here we are." The maid bowed holding the door open. "My name's Tiff. Please let me or another servant know if you require provisions." Turning to Raine, "Shall I show you to your room?"

"I think we can take it from here, thank you very much for showing us around." Raine nodded before ushering Presea and following Sheena into Colette's room.

Zelos turned back to Tiff, "Hey wait where are the guys supposed to..." but the hem of the maid's dress could barely be seen whipping around the right corner at the end of the hall and she was gone. He stared after her a moment before looking at Lloyd who seemed nonplussed. "Great going Lloyd you scared her. Now where're we gonna stay?"

"I think it would be best if the girls stayed in one room and we stayed in the other." Regal spoke from over Lloyd's shoulder. "I don't like this place, but we won't cross the forest again before nightfall. The safest course of action is to stay together until we depart first thing in the morning."

Lloyd didn't have time to nod before Zelos snorted loudly. "Yeeeeah, right. Speak for yourself, S_eñor_ Chastity, but I need a room for myself tonight. I've been catching the looks the ladies have been giving me and they're just waiting to have me one on one. And no offense, but sharing isn't really my style." And with that he tossed his belt and scabbard to Genis before jogging after the maid. "Beautiful Maiden Tiff! Wait, I require provisions!"

"Idiot..." Genis muttered before moving back to "Sheena's" room to drop off their gear.

Lloyd was about to do the same when he noticed Regal hadn't moved, still watching after where Zelos had gone. "Everything alright Regal?"

"I am concerned for our Chosen's safety." Regal admitted, frowning at the end of the hall. "Something about this place is wrong. I can feel it."

Lloyd looked around as if checking the weather. "Well you know more about this stuff than I do. But Zelos has us to get him out of trouble, as usual. If he needs help he'll scream or something." He jerked his head towards the room, "Let's drop our stuff off."

When he came back out the room Regal still hadn't moved. He sighed. "Fine, _I'll_ go get Zelos back, you stay with the girls."

"And Genis?" Genis asked coming out of the room behind him.

"Very well, I'll keep us together. Just remember your way back; Sheena wasn't wrong when she said this place was a maze..." Regal said putting a hand on Genis' back and leading him to the room.

"I have a natural sense of direction Regal, don't worry about us." Lloyd declared confidently walking in the direction Zelos had gone in. Regal looked on as Lloyd disappeared left at the end of the hall, a moment later reappearing again deliberately not looking in his direction as he crossed the intersection and disappeared once more.

* * *

"Excuse me? Beautiful Maiden?" Zelos called out, finding himself at the end of yet another long hallway lit only by intermittent lamps along the wall. "Oh come on. This is stupid. And all these are supposed to be 'guest' rooms too?" He yelled. His voice echoed back to him before silence resumed its place over the deserted halls.

He sighed heavily and began trudging his feet along the hardwood floor, stopping occasionally to listen for voices or signs of life. Who designed this house? Zelos had lived among the elite of the flourishing world, even stayed within the castle on occasion, and nothing he'd seen before compared in the size of this house.

His ears picked up a sound. It was faint, but definitely there. A girlish giggle echoed down the hall, then the sound resumed. After a few moments he recognized it was very soft piano music.

Quietly so as not to disturb anyone, he made for the end of the hall which opened into a large baroque-style living room. Across the back a long staircase led to an upper story behind a closed door, the room itself was adorned with wood-framed furniture of intricate design facing a darkened fireplace that could easily fit three Regals sitting comfortably side-by-side, in the corner stood an antique piano against the wall. The room was silent, and unlike the rest of the house looked as if it hadn't been set foot in for years. Dust coated every horizontal surface, cobwebs decorated the corners of the walls and even the white wallpaper had aged to a dirty gray.

Something bumped his foot and he jumped away only to see it was a black ball. Looking around uncertainly he stooped, picking it up and examining it, and jumping a second later when he heard a voice.

"Oh you found it! Thank you so much!"

He looked up to see a young girl who couldn't have been over ten years old watching him, arms outstretched. She wore a plain white dress appropriate for a church day and was the palest girl he'd ever seen in his life. Her dark eyes took him in, arms dropping slightly. Zelos quickly knelt and rolled the ball back to her. Watching her face brighten up as she received it he noticed the light never quite reached her eyes. "Who am I to be the first person who doesn't give such a pretty girl anything she wants." He chuckled still watching her.

"Have you seen my daddy?" She inquired, walking over and looking up at him. "You're tall..."

He grinned reassuringly patting her head. "Don't worry darlin', your daddy's out hunting big scary monsters. He'll be back any minute now with a big... Minotaur head. You haven't by any chance seen one of the maids around have you?"

"He's prolly out hunting still..." She muttered looking down before brightening up again. "Do you want to play with me?"

"Y'know, that sounds like fun, but I really need to find someone who can show me my room. You might say it's an emergen– Oh h-hey wow you're strong." He stammered as her hand clasped over his wrist like a tiny vice and began pulling him toward the piano with a strength non-befitting her frail form. Even through the fabric of his long sleeves her hands felt like they'd been sitting in buckets of ice. He probably could have broken away, but for now all she wanted was a playmate. Not asking for an organ transplant or anything...

"But mommy says I don't have a good sing-voice." She admitted sadly, looking down after he took a seat at the piano.

"I'm sure that's not true at all. All girls have amazing voices..." He leaned back and winked, "But other girls can get jealous."

She giggled at him covering her mouth. "You're funny. Will you teach me that song you were humming?"

Zelos looked perplexed at her mouth slightly agape. Throwing a quick look around the room he made sure he wasn't missing anything and forced a lighthearted chuckle. "I'm not sure what you're referring to, Beautiful."

"Okay." She sat down beside him and pushed open the keyboard cover. Zelos turned away and coughed hard as a dust cloud lifted off the keys. The girl didn't seem bothered in the slightest, instead hovering her hands hesitantly over the keys and waiting for Zelos expectantly.

"Wha–!" Zelos coughed again, wiping his tearing eyes and settling his fingers over the ivory keys, "What song did you want to hear?" He got out in one breath before being forced to duck away and cough one last time to clear his lungs.

"Okay..." She repeated before her face set in a determined expression. "Like... this?" She asked, doing a short line.

"That was... Good." Zelos nodded encouragingly, wondering what the hell she was playing. It was pretty, sure. But it certainly wasn't any song he'd ever heard before.

"Can we play it at the same time? Daddy says that helps me learn better." She asked, returning her hands over the first keys again.

Zelos adjusted his posture, taking up the same keys two octaves higher. Fortunately for him, music was just one of his innumerable talents. She struck the first three keys which he repeated a split second behind. He was watching her hands carefully to predict which notes would be played before her fingers actually pressed the keys, yet it was clear she was leading them. And she still watched his hands as if unsure she was playing the right song.

"Does it have words?" She asked suddenly when they'd apparently repeated the handful of lines to the song several times.

"Why don't you think of some?" Zelos suggested smiling. "You kinda... Made the rest of the song anyway. Why not top it off with your angelic voice?"

"Drunken Whaler?" She crinkled her nose at him. He couldn't tell if she was offering or confirming. "That's a silly name for a song. But okay. You sing a line, then play the line and I'll sing along to it." She turned and got off the bench, standing beside the piano. She watched him eagerly, dark eyes not even reflecting the light coming in from the high windows over the fireplace.

He turned his hands over, noting the grey patches of dust that covered him from his hands to his vest, then turned his attention to the keyboard. It was obvious which keys had been pressed by the distinct lines of bone-white interrupting the gray-dust palette. Except two octaves deeper, which bore no marks whatsoever. His eyes rested on her spotless white dress again.

Zelos prided himself on being many things, and though he joked about it often, he knew he wasn't the brightest crayon in the box. One thing he did take pride in however, was his ability to sense when things were very wrong, and this girl was wrong-incarnate. But right now all she wanted was a friend to teach her an imaginary song, and so long as he filled that role she was happy, which meant he got to keep his soul or whatever the alternative was. He wasn't much interested in finding out.

"I should really be getting back to my friends. How about after this song you can go back to playing and I'll just... Find my own way outta here. Alright?"

She had closed her eyes, starting to sway on the spot. She nodded, "Okay, I think I got it."

"Right..." Zelos settled his hands over the keyboard, throwing glances over his shoulder around the room. The girl had started humming the tune before whispering the first words. If the hairs on his neck stood any straighter they would be lifting the shirt off his back. Her "sing-voice" was indeed most unpleasant, though it was largely influenced by the setting. The choir-like haunting quality would fit well in a church, but alone in a room with her it sounded more ominous than a door creaking open on its own.

"What will we do with a drunken whaler? What will we do with a drunken whaler? What will we do with a drunken whaler, early in the morning..."

He lowered his pointer to the first key only to have it press itself beneath his finger. He stared at the keyboard as the second note played, then the third all without his assistance.

"Way hay, and up she rises. Way hay, and up she rises. Way hay, and up she rises, early in the morning..."

Zelos slowly let his hands fall to his sides, realizing it didn't matter if he reached for the keys or not and debated if this was his window of opportunity. Cautiously keeping his eyes on the girl he made his way to his feet, taking a moment to compose himself before making a slow step towards the hall he'd entered from as the girl continued singing.

"Shoot him through the heart with a loaded pistol..."

He almost missed the next step as the lyrics turned from child-like to something that could only be described as "creepy." Zelos chanced a glance in her direction to see her watching him as she repeated the verse. He gave his most charming smile under the circumstances and quickly made for the hall, noticing a mirror on the wall just before the corner and giving it one glimpse before passing.

In it he caught a reflection of himself as what he'd expected to see, dusted slightly sweating and very much out of his comfort zone, but also the room behind him. And the single most horrible thing he'd ever seen in his life watching him from beside the piano.

"Slice his throat with a rusty cleaver."

Even though he was a good distance away now he spun, throwing his back against the corner and almost falling into the hall.

"Slice his throat with a rusty cleaver. Slice his throat with a rusty cleaver, early in the morning..."

The "girl" continued watching him, contentedly swaying on her spot while her quiet whispering and the autonomous piano somehow filled the entire room.

"Way hay, and up she rises. Way hay, and up she rises."

Zelos had enough. Backing away a few more steps he didn't pretend to feign "cool" anymore as he turned and bolted, stopping after one stride and staring ahead then behind him into the room.

"Way hay, and up she rises..."

At the end of the hall the girl stood swaying, watching him with unblinking eyes.

"Early in the morning..."


	2. Go Nowhere Alone

**For those who want to know what the song at the end of the first chapter sounds like, look up the trailer song for the game Dishonored, titled Drunken Whaler. Offers a level of creepiness my writing can't quite compete with.**

* * *

A disgraced downcast gaze examined a spot on the rug as five sets of accusing eyes bore into the man on trial.

"And at what point did you believe _Lloyd_ was the ideal choice to go after him?" Raine asked in that manner teachers had of letting someone know they weren't mad, rather were just disappointed in their stupidity, and they wanted that person to feel it more than anything else.

"In hindsight, a poor decision..." Regal confessed shamefully, closing his eyes. "I accept full responsibility for their disappearances."

"The point was to keep us together, which was smart, but sending Lloyd off _alone_ to do it seems like defeating the purpose." Genis folded his arms knowingly before being slapped across the back of the head by Raine.

"You didn't stop him either, and taking responsibility isn't bringing anyone back." Raine chided, rising from her seat on the bed and hefting her staff. "Enough talking, the longer we do so the longer they're out there alone."

"I didn't get a bad feeling from this place, but if you and Regal would feel more comfortable having everyone together then I think we should gather Lloyd and Zelos too." Colette nodded, standing as well.

"I'm with them. This place has been giving me the creeps since we got here." Sheena pushed off the wall she'd been leaning on. "If we don't find Zelos, we'll chalk it up as a loss, but I'm not leaving without Lloyd." Her face began to redden as all eyes set on her but was saved a backpedal by Presea.

"They've been gone for half an hour. They could be anywhere within one-point-three miles of the building." She looked up to Raine who shook her head.

"I don't think either would have left the house, they're probably still wandering the halls." Raine moved for the door. "Not that it makes finding them any easier..."

* * *

"Hey! Zelos! You hear me?"

It felt like he'd been wandering the place for hours. He'd found an assortment of waiting rooms, dining rooms, living rooms, lounging rooms, and a number of other rooms he was sure served some purpose but were too refined for his tastes, but no Zelos.

Lloyd popped into a large room with a bunch of couches all surrounding a fireplace that could have easily fit three or four Regals. An old piano sat in the corner but he resisted the urge to try it out and passed through, stopping at a mirror at the corner of the hall to fix his hair for a second.

"Zelos? Miss Maid?" Lloyd called out for the umpteenth time as he passed through a hall. "Anyone...?" He hadn't seen a single person since leaving the group at their rooms, how could so few people live in so much space? He never understood how the rich spent their money. He'd be content with a drop of the bucket that was their wealth.

He could see where Regal might be uncomfortable in this place. If Lloyd hadn't spent so much of his youth walking alone through the forest to and from Iselia he may have agreed, but as it was the house just felt more lonely than anything else. It made sense that Mr. Ever would want to entertain guests when he could and put at least _some_ of this space to use. But then why build his legacy so far off the beaten path?

Lloyd hadn't been paying attention to where his feet were taking him as he walked down a side staircase until he looked up and recognized the entry hall they'd come in from. He arrived at the ground level and looked back up the staircase frowning. Shaking his head he continued to the front of the hall where the first thing he noticed was the darkening sky outside. Raindrops could be seen across the high windows and the interior of the home seemed much darker and less welcoming than when they'd first entered.

Sighing, he debated whether or not to fruitlessly call out again when something on the upper landing caught his eye. Taking a few steps back, he saw someone standing on the second floor facing away from him.

"Hello? Hey! Excuse me!" He yelled loudly enough that someone on the far side of the room could hear him, waving his arms and feeling rather foolish because they weren't facing him.

Excited to finally see another human being in the house he jogged towards the other end of the room before running up the creaking stairs, feeling the wood bend slightly under his weight. "Hey, I'm looking for a... Friend." His boyish smile faded slightly as he looked around, seeing no one on the clear upper level of the room.

He ducked down to check under the desk they'd evidently been standing at before looking around again scratching the back of his head. "It's okay, I'm just looking for someone... Can you hear me?"

Lloyd approached the desk in puzzlement. There were a number of mementos across the length of it, but a particular picture in the center drew his gaze. A photo of what he presumed was the Ever family. The quality was grainy at best in black and white, but lifting the frame he could make out a man with an arm around an older boy. Both were standing behind a kneeling woman with a young girl kneeling beside her. The picture seemed to have been taken on the grounds of the house, the side visible in the corner of the picture. The background was the dark forest Lloyd's group had hiked through earlier that day, but something was wrong. He stared hard at the photo, waiting for the discrepancy to appear.

His heart skipped a beat when he saw something in the trees. Something that blended in, looked almost like a tree, but was too unnatural in appearance to fit in. As his eyes moved up, focusing to try to give shape to the conspicuous form, he thought he could make out a body.

The subtle sound of a door closing to his right caused him to jump. Setting the photo down offhandedly, he walked around the side of the wall to see the door that had closed. Odd, he couldn't remember seeing it open before.

Clearing his throat he knocked a couple times. "Hey, could I talk to you for a sec? I'm looking for my friend, Zelos. Maybe you've seen him?"

The silence was broken only by the light pattering of rain against the windows. Rather than knocking again he cleared his throat once more and tried the door. It was tight, like it hadn't been used in some time, but by putting some weight behind his shoulder it grudgingly slid open revealing a small study.

Hundreds of books lined the circular walls and a small merry fire burned in a fireplace to the side of the room, before it stood a desk with a single lamp and a mess of papers strewn across it. It reminded Lloyd sickeningly of the library of Syback.

"How can anyone read this much..." Lloyd shook his head walking over to the desk before remembering why he was here. "Hey is there anyone in here? I just heard the door close and..." He ducked to look under the desk again, "And I'm wasting my time."

Lloyd didn't get it. Did the person leave the study? Why didn't he see them on the balcony? Why light a fire if they were just going to leave? Rich people made no sense.

As he turned to leave a small leather-bound journal, lying open on the desk, caught his eyes. It seemed strange that someone would sneak into the study just to make a diary entry then sneak out again, leaving it open like this.

He made his way around the desk to sit in the chair, careful not to touch anything but drawing up closer to read the neat print more clearly.

_The new servant has been a tremendous help. Taffy? Toffee? Her name escapes me but already I can't understand how we ran the home without her. She's so friendly with the guests, they all rave about her. I'll have to keep her away from Robert whenever he comes back from his business trip... Already I think Jacob fancies her. Sarah adores her to no end, I may be out of a job as a mother soon enough._

Lloyd thumbed past a few pages, unsure what he was looking for. Adding a new entry to the middle of a journal didn't make much sense.

_Just when I thought Martel had abandoned us. But it turns out luck can be around the unlikeliest corners. After our conversation Robert's moved his business to the home, a true blessing. He really was listening. We can spend more time as a family together again, like we used to. I think all the change is getting to him a bit, he seems distracted and irritable at times. But he'll settle down. This will be a good change, I can feel it._

Lloyd glanced around the room to ensure nothing had changed and flipped a few pages ahead marked by a tear in the corner.

_I caught him staring out the window again today. He's been doing it more and more of late. Last night I passed him on the way to tend to Sarah's nosebleed. When I came through that part of the house again hours later he was still there. I believe it helps him think. I had to call out to him a couple times before he came to, and when he finally did he got a damn nosebleed too! Martel everyone's getting them these days..._

_Reminder: Tell Jacob to stop tracking mud through the backdoor. It's either him or the servants, and they know better than to increase their workload._

Lloyd flipped the page to discover why the previous one was torn. A cluster of pages were missing from the spine, ripped out hastily by the looks of it. Curiously he looked at the following page to find himself staring a very detailed eye staring at the ceiling.

As if on cue Lloyd glanced up just to be sure, only seeing the open sky artwork that decorated the roof of the study. Shrugging he looked back to the book and read the caption: "Always watching."

"I guess so..." He muttered flipping the page to see the handwriting had deteriorated significantly in the time frame he'd missed.

_He's been acting so strange lately. I'll catch him staring at walls for minutes at a time if no one's around. Then as soon as a servant passes or he notices me he'll smile in that odd way and continue about his business. Speaking of which he barely pays attention to anymore. You'd think he already retired, which I'm fine with. But he keeps at it like it's what's expected of him, like we'll think something's wrong if he doesn't._

Lloyd skipped a few more pages frowning slightly. Whoever had written this diary seemed to be in some form of trouble.

_I'm scared. First Jacob and now..._ the next few lines were smeared with could have been water, rendering the ink illegible. _I want out. I'm taking Sarah with me and we're not waiting for "the next batch of servants" or whatever weird excuses he keeps coming up with. Tomorrow, first thing in the morning a carriage is arriving. We're not coming back._

A single page was missing after that, though barely noticeable. As if someone had tried to take each bit of paper out of the bindings and assumed no one would look closely enough to see there were still fragments of shredded paper around the spine. After examining the scraps Lloyd read the last entry.

_It was like I dreamt. The move here was smart, and safe. We spend alot time together now, walks in forest. Tiffs next. I miss her._

Lloyd stood, closing the book and thinking for a moment. He didn't understand what exactly was going on, but he knew Regal or Raine could make sense of this. Tiff was "next?" He didn't know who the journal belonged to but if Tiff was in any kind of danger the others should know about it too. He picked up the book, mind racing and made for the door. As he approached it started to close and he lurched forward extended the book ahead of himself just in time to catch the door. Wedging himself in the crack he pulled it open and stumbled into the hall, door slamming behind him.

_'What the hell is going on here?'_ He thought quickly, brain still jumpy from reading the book. A flash of light darkened the entire room as thunder crashed outside and he leaned against the rail, slowing his breathing and focusing on keeping his thoughts together. There was nothing to be anxious about. He wasn't being pursued, he wasn't in immediate danger. Relax, collect thoughts and just find the group again. One thing at a time.

He took a deep breath, clutching the book tighter and forced himself to make slow, calm steps for the stairs.

"–oyd...?"

He paused as he thought he heard his name. There it was again, coming from downstairs. Heart leaping in relief that the reunion would be sooner rather than later he grinned, quickly dropping down the stairs.

The feeling of someone standing directly behind him gave him pause. That presence when someone is alone in the room with another. A few steps from the top of the landing he turned, seeing someone standing above him.

He recognized her as the woman sitting in the portrait. Lloyd opened his mouth to greet her as he took in her disheveled appearance, first words coming to mind being the first out of his mouth. "Oh hey! You... Have not aged well..."

Regretting his choice he worked quickly to rephrase but she didn't seem to notice, long unwashed hair hanging down as she leaned her head back, mouth agape.

"Err, you okay?" He asked taking a step up towards her. Her wide eyes shot to him, then down to the book in his hands, then to him again as a hollow gasping noise escaped her throat. Her head began shaking violently and Lloyd rescinded his previous action by taking two steps back down the stairs. Somehow managing to take his eyes off her contorting face he looked down, heart skipping a beat as he noticed her feet hovering a good several inches off the ground.

"Ah... Well then..." He took another step backwards as she snapped her head down at the floor.

The staircase made one loud cracking sound and the wood beneath his feet splintered. One second of cold air rushing past him and the light from the room above disappeared, plunging him into utter blackness as he fell.

* * *

"Lloyd?" Genis called as the group entered the entry hall.

"Lloyd isn't here." Presea stated, in case no one had noticed as they neared the front doors again. "It's unlikely he found Zelos either."

Raine frowned, looking around the room before noticing Regal, eyes narrowed as he examined something on the far end of the room.

"That's weird, I thought I heard something before we came in here but... Maybe I mistook the lightning." Genis sighed, putting his hands behind his head. "What now sis?"

Raine had followed Regal across the room, everyone moving behind them. As they drew near the staircase they saw what Regal had noticed. Half-way up the staircase had given away, leading to a pitch black hole. Deciding he wasn't the ideal candidate to do so Regal motioned for Sheena to test the stairs leading up to the hole.

Testing each step she reached the edge of the abyss and leaned over. "I can't see a thing..."

"I can help!" Genis volunteered, ignoring his sister's protest and ducking under her hand to carefully make his way up the stairs. Standing beside Sheena he lifted his hand and closed his eyes, opening them a second later with a fire alight over his palm.

Before he had a chance to toss it down Sheena grabbed his wrist. "That might not be such a good idea. Zelos could be down there."

"Don't you mean Lloyd?" He smirked before she smacked the back of his head. "Okay, okay jeez. You're not my sister. What do you think we should do?"

Sheena leaned over again but still saw nothing. "Zelos!" She called, scowling at Genis who grinned. After not even an echo came back she stood up again. "Maybe he's hurt. Or unconscious. Try water?" Genis stared at her and she shrugged. "I don't know!"

Genis rolled his eyes before closing them again and moving his hand in a circle as if over a cauldron. After a moment of silence water began spilling out of the air under his palm, falling in a spiral into the shadows. They didn't even hear it hit the bottom.

"We're wasting time, we don't even know if they're down there." Colette said worriedly. It was clear one or both of their friends had probably made the hole, but if it ran so deep not even an echo returned... "We should keep looking someplace else."

"Wait, I see something at the top of the stairs..." Sheena called behind her. She looked down at the hole then across the staircase guesstimating the distance. Looking to the side and noticing the railing of the second floor not too much higher than the handrails of the stairs, she took a stride, planted her foot on the banister and leapt for the second story. Catching the vertical bars easily she hoisted herself up and over, moving to the other side of the hole.

"Y'know there's another staircase..." Genis said to her from the lower end, but she ignored him as she stooped, quickly picking up the object.

The others watched her blank expression before she looked down to them, holding out a dark red Exsphere. "It's Lloyd's..." Was all she said before returning her gaze to the hole.

"Sheena, we don't know what happened here, but if that hole goes to the foundations somewhere there has to be another entrance." Raine said, calm voice sounding forced. Sheena didn't move, still looking somberly into the pit. "Come back down Sheena, and we'll plan our next step."

Sheena motioned for Genis to step back and jumped across the pit after he was clear. She looked disappointed the steps didn't give out under her and moved down the stairs to rejoin the group. Colette moved beside her quietly and put an arm around her. "He'll be okay. Lloyd's always okay..." She said, looking on the verge of tears herself. "We'll find him."

Sheena nodded, looking away as she preemptively dried her eyes. "Yeah. You're right, we'll find him and he'll be fine. What's the plan?" She asked looking to Raine.

Raine opened her mouth to speak before the sound of rushed footsteps came from the hall. Everyone held their breath, hoping to see one of their missing friends, when an older boy in his late teens rounded the corner. His clothes were a bit dated and scuffed, but he looked relieved when he saw them. "Oh thank the goddess, travelers. Have you seen my father?"

"Mr. Ever? I don't think he's returned yet." Raine said moving to the front of the group to address him. "We were told he was out–"

"Hunting?" He finished for her, nodding irritably like it was an excuse he'd heard a hundred times over. "Bullshit, that's what everyone's saying. He's been missing for days. I've been waiting for someone to help me look for him, please will you come with me? I can't do it alone in this weather."

Raine opened her mouth, looking back to the group. It was usually Lloyd who spoke first, offering assistance at every opportunity, but Lloyd wasn't with them now. Lloyd needed their help, Zelos could very well too, but what would they want?

Regal stepped forward. "Yes, we'll help you." Raine shot him a look demanding explanation.

He leaned in as the boy nodded gratefully and moved towards the door. "You mentioned this house would have foundations. Any of them could very well lead outside." He shared a meaningful look with her before she nodded in understanding.

"Good luck." She said resting a hand on his arm.

"Be careful." He responded, throwing a wary look around the large room one last time. "There are forces are at play we haven't encountered yet. Don't trust the house." He turned to depart when he saw Colette standing before him, hands before her chest.

"I'm coming too." She said determinedly. "I heard you, Lloyd could be out there... Or if he isn't, maybe my senses can help find Mr. Ever instead." It was clear she wanted to find Lloyd as much as anyone else, but a stranger's plea for help would never go ignored before her.

"Presea?" Genis asked as she stepped forward to stand beside Colette, "You're going too?"

"Yes." She answered plainly. "I know forests better than mansions. My skills would be better allocated to locating Mr. Ever than our friends. It's... What they would want." She lamented expressionlessly, moving towards the door.

"Very well." Raine nodded as Sheena and Genis drew behind her. "We'll continue searching the interior, you three will take the outside. The storm's getting worse, so don't stay out too long."

Regal led the girls outside where the boy was waiting.

"I'm sorry, we forgot to ask your name." Colette said apologetically, extending a hand to the boy.

"Call me Jake. Can we go now? I got a bad feeling about this weather." Jake said quickly, turning away and heading directly into the forest.

"I think we should do a once around the house before heading into the forest." Regal called after him.

"If he was hanging around the side of the house he wouldn't be missing." Jake called back to him dryly.

Regal stopped at the corner of the house with Colette and Presea. "It would be wise to confirm what we know before expanding our search. We might see something you didn't."

"Be my guest!" Jake shouted back to them not stopping on his way into the forest. "I'm looking for father."

Regal made a sound of displeasure in his throat before turning to the girls.

"We can't let him go on alone!" Colette urged quickly looking around his shoulder to see Jake disappear into the trees.

Regal looked back in his direction and shook his head, disbelieving the situation. "Can you two promise to stick together?" Presea nodded stepping directly beside Colette as if to prove it. "Search the perimeter of the house for look for anything that could possibly lead under it. Basement doors, flood drains, anything. When you're done go inside and find Raine. _Stick_._ Together_." He repeated, both pointer fingers directed at them.

Colette was about to ask what he'd be doing when he turned and jogged after Jake. She looked down to see Presea watching him disappear into the trees before turning her gaze to the building.

Together they looked around the corner at the length of the house. Regal might very well return to this spot before they did...

* * *

"So we should start looking around for basement doors and stuff right?" Sheena asked, looking between the half-elven siblings.

Raine frowned, glancing back up the stairs. "No. Lloyd was supposed to find Zelos. Something may have drawn him up there in the first place. We should start there."

"He could have just been wandering around aimlessly!" Sheena objected, following Raine and Genis up the stairs.

"It's a possible start. Better than wandering around aimlessly ourselves." Genis commented, looking around the upper level as Raine made for the desk at the far end of the landing.

Unsure of what to look for Sheena scanned the area for anything obvious before taking to pacing the length of the second level, on the hunt for anything out of the ordinary. Genis went back to the hole and crouched along the edge, examining the wood as Raine opened various drawers at the desk.

"What, did Lloyd follow Zelos into a drawer?" Sheena asked impatiently, watching Raine shift through the contents of one before closing it and opening another.

"We're here, no harm in being thorough." Raine muttered, as if to herself, as she slid the drawer closed and roughly opened another. Normally she might have felt a sense of guilt over the invasion of privacy, but with one student and companion missing and no one in this ridiculous house being able to help them she was getting irritable. She slammed the door shut and opened another before taking a step back covering her mouth.

"Something's up with this sis." Genis called over his shoulder, Sheena coming up behind him. "If the steps had just given in the hole shouldn't be this big. Lloyd's not Regal, two maybe three steps should have given way. Not..." He gestured back and forth between the sides of the damage almost three times the size he'd estimated. "And the way the wood broke, shouldn't there be more debris around? It was like a pitfall trap waiting to happen."

"Raine?" He heard Sheena ask. Turning he saw Raine compose herself, sedately remove a handkerchief from her pocket, and approach the desk again.

They moved closer as she reached inside the drawer, hand shielded by the handkerchief, and retrieved something from the bottom.

"What is it?" Genis asked hesitantly, voice sounding uncertain if he wanted to know.

Raine looked between her brother and Sheena whose eyes also bore both trepidation and curiosity. She swallowed, turning the cloth over and pulling one of the folds back. The immediate reaction would have been to step back had the object been recognizable. It wasn't until Raine shifted her hand that the reflective surface under the coagulated blood caught the light.

"Oh.." Sheena breathed, turning away hand to her mouth as she saw what it was.

Genis leaned in with knit brows, poking the bright red gem embedded in a simple gold plaque. It looked familiar but he couldn't place...

"Oh..." He echoed, jerking back and looking away as well when he saw the tattered bloodied flesh attached to the sides of the keycrest.

"From now on no one goes anywhere alone." Raine instructed folding the Cruxis Crystal up again. "This house is a hostile environment, treat everything as a threat."

"It was just his crystal..." Genis offered hopefully to Sheena who looked like she would be sick. "He can still be alive, with Lloyd even!" He said, excitement rising in his voice. "That could be why the stairs gave way in such a weird way, maybe they were both on it!"

Raine didn't look satisfied however, and began looking around the second level, ensuring they hadn't missed anything. "That hardly justifies removing their Exspheres. There's nothing else either of you found?"

"There was a room over there," Sheena pointed to the open door around the corner from the desk, "but I didn't see anything inside.

Raine walked around the corner to where she was pointing, spotting the open door. Checking the frame before proceeding inside she was greeted by a warm fire and about a year's worth of reading material. Sheena hovered near the door for a while, watching before moving to check the rest of the landing.

Approaching the hearth Raine noted the new logs on top of the merrily burning fire. "Neither of you saw anyone come in or out of here?" She called over her shoulder.

"No, just the open door." Genis answered, sticking his head around the corner before disappearing again.

Raine frowned, standing straight and coming around the desk where a leather-bound journal lay open, revealing a detailed sketch of an eye staring at the ceiling. She glanced up to ensure there wasn't a chandelier or anything about to fall on her and knelt to open the drawers of the desk. Finding a quill she stood again, impressed by its preservation. She carefully slid the end of the quill under the page of the eye and turned it to the other side, frowning again. Its composition seemed different from the other pages somehow. It was difficult to tell in the dim light but the coloring was just slightly off. Nose almost to the bindings she guessed this page was added into the journal after it was put together.

She ran her finger along the sides of the pages on either side, feeling. This wasn't the only added page, several others jutted out ever so slightly. Using the quill to flip to one she looked at it for a moment before picking up the book and holding it against the light.

It was a drawing, childlike almost. It depicted several trees surrounding a clearing with an elongated stick figure stepping out of them into the foreground. Or so she surmised, it was a crude picture after all.

She flipped back to the first page she'd found, passing the eye, and began reading. She recognized the first name it mentioned and an alarm went off in her head. Her eyes shot to the previous entry's date. Raine stepped out beside the desk as she turned to the inside cover to read the name on the journal.

"Sheena, Genis."

"Sis!" Genis' urgent tone made her look up in time to see the door close completely before she reached it. Moving to the door she heard Genis trying the other end as she pulled with all her might.

A low gasp in the room made Raine spin, seeing a crippled woman lying at the base of one of the bookcases.

"Genis!" She called to him back to the door as the woman rolled over onto her stomach, "Find Sheena."

"I'm here, Raine!" The young woman's voice could be heard from the other side of the door.

"Do not get separated from each other, do you understand me?" Raine demanded from the door as the writhing woman saw Raine, white eyes bulging. "Whatever you do, stick together, find the others."

The woman began scrambling towards the door before Raine strode towards her, slamming the end of her staff into the ground and whispering a rapid prayer. A ward of white light materialized in a circle around her staff and began to spin in a slow circle. Raine calmly walked to the edge of the ring and quickly pulled the chair from the desk into her sanctuary, taking a seat and opening the journal. She read the first entry and looked up in time to see the woman clumsily stand before her less than five feet away, breathing heavily. Matted hair hid her features, but Raine could sense the animosity towards the living.

"Lady Ever." Raine addressed coolly, consulting the journal again before looking her companion over. "You won't mind if I learn a bit about you... I find history a fascinating subject."

* * *

Regal caught up behind Jake. Even with his superior conditioning the boy made a hard pace to keep up with, even with his constant calls for "Father!" or "Dad!" he hardly seemed winded.

As they drew into a clearing Jake stopped, turning to Regal. "Do you have any tracking experience?"

"I'm afraid not. The wilderness is not my forte." Regal answered taking a deep breath through his nose and recovering. "Does your father have any particular area he frequents? Some place we can start at?"

"We own a cabin about a mile out from the house. We should be coming up on it shortly." Jake said pointing into the forest where Regal presumed the cabin was. "But if he could make it there why wouldn't he just return home?"

"I'm unsure, but it's a possible lead." Regal nodded. "Let's begin there."

Jake nodded and continued walking. "It's this way."

"If we hold a loud conversation it's possible he could hear it from a distance." Regal suggested as rain began to fall harder through the trees. "It's unlikely he'll hear us once the rain picks up, but you won't have to shout yourself hoarse."

Jake scowled. "I guess. What do you want to talk about?"

"Have you had any trouble with Desians on your land so close to Luin?" Regal asked raising his voice noticeably even though they were only a few feet apart.

"Is that the big city nearby?" Jake asked loudly in response, shaking his head and shrugging. "That doesn't sound right... Anyway, I've never been outside our forest, father likes to keep us in the house when he can."

"Why is that?" Regal pressed, ducking under a branch to avoid being bushwhacked by Jake.

Jake shrugged again pushing past another tree branch without looking back. "He says he works so we don't have to."

"And what does he do?"

"Businessman. I'm not sure what kind..."

"Your father owns this much land, that house, employs dozens of servants and you don't know what he does?"

"He works so we don't have to..." Jake repeated resignedly.

"He seems like a generous man." Regal commented watching Jake ahead carefully. "I suppose you housed quite a few refugees after Luin was attacked."

"Father's generous, but we don't run homeless shelters. Most travelers we take in are on their way in a day or two." Jake shook his head again. "Luin's not sounding right though. Do you mean Asgard?"

Regal thought back to the map Raine had spent an evening going over with him. "No... I believe Asgard was to the south. Luin's just north of you, your servants must go there for supplies."

"Geography was never my strong suit." Jake said indifferently, stopping for a second to get his bearings before proceeding again. "We never really follow up on things going on in the outside world." He looked over his shoulder to Regal. "If the 'designs' are some form of local gang, the guards tend to keep riffraff off of our property."

"I see..."

As they entered another clearing it was clear Regal had stopped following. At the edge of the wood Jake turned, "Are you still coming? The cabin's just up ahead."

Regal's eyes narrowed as lightning forked overhead. "I'm from another world and I know who the Desians are. How is it possible you, the son of a wealthy businessman, located near a town recently ravaged by Desians, have never heard of them?" He shouted over the thunder.

Jake stared at him. "Because I don't need to?" He asked, tone mocking.

"What's going on here?" Regal demanded, stepping forward. "You're either lying about the guards or they're the worst hands you've hired in your home, and that's saying something. It isn't possible your family hasn't felt the decline of this world, or never interacted with Desians."

Jake continued staring at him. "There were guards right outside the manor as we departed." He said slowly. "Did you not see them?"

"No, because they weren't there." Regal spoke calmly across the clearing. "In fact, you're the only person I've had a real conversation with since we came here. Explain to me why that is." Despite his accusatory tone Jake was staring at him like he'd lost his mind. Regal's offense was failing as the boy was sticking to his story.

"I'm... Going to keep looking for my father. You can stay here." Jake finally answered him with some nervousness. He threw one last look over his shoulder before disappearing into the woods.

Regal sighed heavily. That hadn't gone as planned. The look in his eyes in that final moment wasn't that of someone hiding something, rather someone who feared being pursued through a forest by a madman. Calling his name, Regal set off after him again, shaking water from his long hair. It would be an awkward apology, but he couldn't let him continue searching on his own.

Perhaps once they found Mr. Ever he would have some of the answers Regal was looking for.

* * *

"They must play amazing games of tag in their house." Colette commented as they rounded the first corner.

"I don't think they have enough people. One game would last days..." Presea responded, stopping for a moment to stoop under a bush and see if they'd missed anything. "Hide and seek would be better."

"No, they could get the servants to play with them." Colette explained raising on the tips of her toes to peek inside a window. "Hide and seek _would_ take days."

"There wouldn't be anyone to clean the house if they made the servants play."

"Maybe they clean when they're not being chased. Or as they run by with feather dusters!" Colette suggested as they both peered into a gap in the bushes leading to the house. It was dark, but obvious there were no secret entrances there either. As Colette continued she noticed Presea had stopped, looking at her. "Is something wrong?"

"Colette, you have wings." Presea stated plainly.

The older girl nodded. "Yes...?" She confirmed uncertainly.

Presea continued looking at her blankly, raindrop sliding from one bang onto her nose. Colette looked blankly back, blinking once as water slid into the corner of her eye. In the distance a raven cawed over the sound of rainfall.

"Oh!" Colette exclaimed excitedly after some time. "I'll be right back!" She grinned as she closed her eyes for a moment, ethereal wings appearing behind her. "Wait here!"

Presea nodded as Colette hovered a little off the ground before taking off at a much faster pace, scanning the sides of the house as she went.

"Hide and seek would be better..." Presea muttered looking away from the house into the forest some distance away.

"No it wouldn't!" Colette's call could be heard just before she disappeared around the corner.

The view from this side of the house would have been beautiful on a clear day. The windows faced an expanse of ground that led into a small hill, walking over to it she saw halfway down it met the forest but the height difference meant one could see over the treetops into the far distance. What was in that far distance remained a mystery to Presea as rain and darkness shrouded anything past the trees, but she wouldn't mind coming back here under better weather conditions.

Everyone else seemed frightened by the atmosphere of the home, which puzzled her. It was just a large house, well sheltered by natural terrain. It should encompass everything everyone wanted a home for. Then again she'd grown up at the edge of a supposedly haunted forest. Perhaps the others simply needed to spend more time there. Then they might see how nice it was.

Lost in her thoughts it was a moment before she realized she wasn't looking blankly into the forest. Her eyes had fixated on something between two trees directly below. It was that man from earlier. She cocked her head realizing he was looking directly at her.

Something lifted her foot, something she couldn't see but whose unexpected strength caught her off guard. Struggling to regain control of her renegade limb she watched it step forward, down the slope onto a precariously placed stone. Slick with rainfall the stone gave way and she tumbled down the hill.

The last image she had was of the house disappearing over the bend in the hillside before her head hit something hard on the fall down and her vision went black.

* * *

An earsplitting scream resounded through the halls.

"W-what is that?" Genis asked loudly after the echoes had died. "Raine?!"

"I don't think it was her." Sheena assured him, looking anxiously around the hall. It was true the silence coming from the room behind the closed door was disturbing but Raine could handle herself. "It sounded like it came from one of the halls."

No sooner had the sentence finished than the maid Tiff ran into view below them. "Traveler, please! Please help there's been... Something terrible has happened!"

Sheena noticed the dark crimson that splattered her front and the distinct red smeared on her hands. She moved to the edge of the banister and looked down. "What's wrong Tiff? Are you okay? Did you find our friends?"

Tiff looked up at her tears in her eyes, shaking her head. "I need help! Please come with me!"

Sheena looked back at Genis.

"I'm not leaving Raine." He said before she could propose anything.

"Genis she needs help, and you heard Raine, we have to stick together!" Sheena argued moving to the stairs. "What if she found Zelos or Lloyd?"

"What if Raine calls for help and no one is around to give it?" Genis retorted. "You go, Raine and I are close enough to be 'together' and you have Tiff. No one's alone."

Sheena clenched her jaw, "I don't think that's what she–"

"They're dying, please come!" Tiff shouted before running into the hall again.

"Genis!" Sheena called moving down the stairs before Tiff got too far ahead of her.

"I'll be fine, just keep your guard up!"

Sheena growled before taking off after the maid, catching her heels disappearing around the next corner.

* * *

Presea's eyes shot open. She was looking at the forest sideways, feeling water pooling between the bridge of her nose and her eye. She could have been out for five seconds or three hours, it was impossible to tell.

Regaining her sense of surroundings quickly she stood, noticing she was again in full command of her body. Mud smeared the side of her face and she looked around seeing the large hillside she slid down.

What had... The mental image of the man flashed through her brain and she stared around trying to find him again. Rainfall caused motion to be detected out of her peripherals wherever she looked.

Slowing her breathing as she turned she realized what stood out did so because it _wasn't_ moving. There, behind a tree two long thin shapes were visible leading to something behind the trunk. Cautiously taking a step to the side giving the tree a large berth she saw the body it connected to. As the torso became visible she saw he was looking directly at her.

Stumbling backward she put the tree between them again and moved back to the hillside, never taking her eyes off the trunk. Lightning flashed at an angle and the small amount of light that made it through the branches showed no shadow being cast from behind the tree.

Turning she scampered up the hill, grabbing for roots, boulders, anything that could hold her weight. But the slope was steep and would have been hard enough to climb if the ground hadn't been soaked, and after one patch of grass gave way she found herself sliding helplessly back down. Flipping over as she reached the bottom she saw him standing less than five feet away looking down at her, stock still.

Scrambling backward she let out a cry, foot finding a solid hold and pushing her up the hill. Turning again she hurriedly grasped at anything that could help her climb, short limbs making slow but determined progress to pull her to safety. Glancing back down over her shoulder she saw him standing at the base of the hill, waiting. If she fell again she would be right at his feet, and she knew there wouldn't be another opportunity to escape.

Digging her fingers into the soft dirt she grit her teeth, pulling her body up the muddy slope.

Just as she could see the very top of the house over the hill she felt long, cold fingers graze her ankles. Shrieking she kicked out, not daring to look behind her as she redoubled her efforts to make it to the top.

The fingers seized her foot and pulled down, hard. Presea tried digging her short fingers into the mud, but despite her formidable strength the ground simply wouldn't hold. She was dragged back down to the halfway point where the large rock she'd initially hit her head on caught on her glove. First reaction being to grab whatever surface she could on it she held on for dear life as the hold on her foot pulled harder.

A low churning sound was heard as the rock she was holding on started to come out of the ground, mud squelching around it as it loosened.

Suddenly the hand let go. Presea looked down to see the man had disappeared, rock she was laying on sliding back into the earth.

"Presea! Presea?"

"Down here!" She called at the top of her lungs answering the voice from the top of the hill.

A dim light silhouetted a form at the top of the hill gliding its way towards her. Presea dropped her head against the rock in relief when she recognized her.

"What happened? I thought you were going to wait for me?" Colette asked, grabbing Presea by the arm and lifting her with some effort off the ground. Her wings flapped harder with the extra weight but they made it to the top of the hill and she set the girl down, staring at her from muddy hair down to shoes that could barely be distinguished from the ground.

"Regal was right." Was all Presea said catching her breath, "Go nowhere alone."


	3. Run

**Hope you're all getting ready for whatever Haunted Trails, Hotels, and Mansions you have in your area. Only comes once a year and the best ones return your money if you manage to make it to the end... Sounds easy enough, right?**

**Think if they put Slenderman at the end of the first hall I'd be making my own exit out the nearest wall.**

* * *

Cold... The stone floor was cold beneath his face. The next thing he noticed was that it didn't compare to the air around him. It wasn't freezing in temperature like the wind of Flanoir, rather a bite in the air that chilled to the bone.

As he brought his hands up to lift himself off the ground he felt how badly every inch of him hurt. He lay back down, the pain across his body increasing the more aware of it he became. Breathing heavily, he tried to think of anything else to distract from the pain and as it began to subside tried rising again, this time managing to haul himself to a sitting position.

He coughed as dust entered his lungs and fought stay upright as the reflexive hacking made his body-wide pain come screaming back. It was dim, but he could make out debris around him. Wood, stone... The fall rushed back to his mind. The woman. A scream reverberated down the stone hall.

Lloyd stood up quickly, too soon, he realized a second later as his vision went fuzzy and flat. He swooned on the spot and caught himself against the wall. The woman, the one from the picture. Wide eyes starting at him, then to the journal... As the gray flecks disappeared and his vision recovered he saw he was alone in the hall.

Scanning the area. The book was nowhere to be seen. He was about to expand his search when he realized that was the least of his worries at this point. Looking up he saw where he'd fallen through the ceiling, but how he'd done so escaped him. From what he could see, the hall seemed to be smooth stone barely lit by faded ceiling lights every thirty meters or so.

His eyes followed the length of the hall down. It seemed to stretch for as long as the ridiculously drawn out corridors of the house above him. Was this a basement or a dungeon?

He strained his ears and shook his head as he began to make his way down the hall leaning against the wall for support. Was that scream he just heard a memory or...?

Hearing the sound of rustling clothes directly behind him he spun round arms outstretched.

An empty hall stood before him, stretching until the black shadows became too dark to penetrate. One of the lights flickered slightly.

Lloyd turned again quickly. From the other direction came the echoes of water, drops falling into a puddle. The noise bounced down the hall, bleak and unhelpful. Leaning with his back against the wall, he looked one way, then the other.

He knew he didn't imagine the sound, he heard it clearly. A short distance ahead the hall met with an intersection. That might give him some direction.

Limping gingerly, he tried putting more weight on his foot. Grimacing, he worked to push past the discomfort and keep his mind focused on his surroundings. It was important. He was alone, hurt. That would have been scary no matter where he was, but the creeping feeling of being watched was somehow amplified by his being alone down here.

The echo of running footsteps drifted back from the corridor ahead. Lloyd listened intently, the sounds of panicked breathing growing louder as they approached. They'd be nearing the intersection at the same time and Lloyd hurried so as not to miss them.

"Guys?" He called out, using the wall as support he walked around the corner into the open and faced the direction the sound was coming from. "I'm... Here."

Dripping water sounded in far distance again, the only disruption to the suffocating silence. Some paper littered the floor, a long dusty bench that hadn't been used in years stood against the wall.

He turned the other way, seeing the empty hall stretch on in the opposite direction.

"Hello?" Lloyd called out uneasily. The sounds were right here...

"Lloyd?"

Lloyd's heart skipped a beat in alarm as he spun to see a ragged figure standing in the middle of the previously empty hall. It took him a moment to see past the torn, dirt and – was that blood? – crusted clothes and disarray to recognize the noble in the semi-dark.

"Zelos?" Lloyd asked unbelieving. "Zelos! Am I glad to see you... Where were you?"

Zelos sneered swaying a little. "You'd like to know, wouldn't you?" He stepped back a little as Lloyd moved towards him. "S-stay back!"

"Zelos?" Lloyd asked again, slower. "What's wrong?"

"If you're really Lloyd," Zelos waved a finger at him, still looking on the verge of bolting the other direction, "What color... Is my underwear?" Lloyd stared at him.

"No, really, what's going on? 'Cause first I was trying to find you, then there was this journal and I fell through the stairs after I saw–"

"J-just answer my question!" Zelos shook his head, wide eyes not leaving Lloyd's face, scrutinizing it for details.

Lloyd wasn't sure what to make of him. "What color..."

"Is my underwear!" Zelos finished angrily, raising a hand before him. Lloyd couldn't feel mana like Genis or Raine, but he recognized when Zelos was about to cast a spell.

"I don't know!" Lloyd answered truthfully.

"You'd better try harder than that!" Zelos' grin looked half-confident half-mad.

"I don't know, Zelos!" Lloyd repeated. Seeing Zelos wasn't standing down and figuring a guess was better than nothing at all, he threw up his hands in frustration. "Pink? You're wearing pink underwear, Zelos."

Zelos lowered his hand slowly. He looked on the verge of tears.

"Oh thank Martel it _is_ you!" He broke down, rushing forward to embrace him tightly.

"Z-Zelos?!"

"He knows, Lloyd." Zelos muttered, still hugging him. "He knows _everything_."

"Zelos what the hell are you talking about?" Lloyd asked, forcing their torsos apart so he could breath and to prevent Zelos from crushing him.

"I was running out of questions and he kept getting them all right." Zelos lowered his head to bury his face back in Lloyd's chest again before raising it suddenly to stare into his eyes. "It can read _minds_."

"You're... Sounding a bit crazy Zelos." Lloyd said bluntly, raising an eyebrow at him, but Zelos shook his head.

"No, no I swear it's true!" He proclaimed, bunching Lloyd's shirt up in his fists. "That's how he knows. That's how it gets inside. Your. Head." He said pointing at Lloyd's own head seriously.

"You need to see Raine." Lloyd tried to sound soothing, but concern leaked through in his voice. "I thought you'd just gone off to see the maid..." As Lloyd began to turn Zelos yanked him back around.

"L-Lloyd you're not _listening_ to me. He's _here_, and he's going to _kill_ us." His voice growing stern and looking angry that Lloyd didn't seem to comprehend the gravity of their situation.

Lloyd began to wonder if finding Zelos before the others was such a good thing after all. The ex-Chosen's erratic behavior was beginning to scare him.

"Only _real_-you wouldn't know I don't _wear_ underwear." Zelos whispered gratefully, bowing his head and resting it back on Lloyd's chest before he was quickly thrust back.

"Another fact about you I won't ever be able to purge. Thanks, Zelos." Lloyd shook his head dusting himself off.

"You're welcome." Zelos sniffed, wiping his eyes.

"We need to regroup with the others. Can you walk or do I need to carry you? I need you on your game, Zelos." Lloyd said, realizing he was going to have to play leader.

"The second one." Zelos answered moving towards him with arms outstretched.

Lloyd rolled his eyes and turned around for Zelos to get on his back, but as soon as he wrapped his arms over his shoulders, Lloyd's knees gave way. It was then Lloyd noticed the empty socket where his Exsphere should be.

"My Exsphere's missing..."

"You need that to carry me?"

"You're heavy. And I'm hurt."

"Oh? Oh, you're hurt?" Lloyd turned to see Zelos looking down at him in disbelief. "_You're_ hurt. 'Cause your Exsphere's missing?" Zelos yanked down the collar of his shirt to reveal his upper chest. "Sorry, that sucks. Maybe next time he'll be a little more gentle!"

Lloyd winced as he saw the raw pink scar tissue puckered over Zelos' sternum. He obviously had difficulty healing up without the power of his own crystal to help him. He then noticed the darker stain running down Zelos' black undershirt.

"W-what happened to you?"

"I've been running for hours, Lloyd. _Hours_. He's around every corner. He caught me, once. But if he finds me again I won't be able to get away. It's only a matter of time. He gets everyone in the end." Zelos muttered, quickly putting his hands on Lloyd's shoulders. "You have to get me out of here."

"Slow down, Zelos." Lloyd soothed, slowly removing the hands from him and putting them to Zelos' side. He'd never seen anyone this disturbed, least of all the carefree playboy he'd grown to know. "Just start from the beginning. Who is 'he?' How'd you even get down here?"

"I was running. This... This _thing_ was after me. I turned a corner and saw him." Zelos' eyes focused on a point over Lloyd's head and he checked behind himself to make sure the hall still stood empty. "I fell through a door. Woke up with him standing over me and..." Zelos' hand moved towards his bloodied shirt, "I've been running ever since."

Lloyd wasn't very good at deciphering babble and knew their best bet was to just get back to the others. Raine would know what to do. "Alright, c'mon then. Let's see if we can get out of here together, alright?" He said standing.

Zelos didn't answer. He was petrified, eyes glued to the end of the hall. Lloyd checked again to make sure it was still empty and did a double take when he realized there was someone standing at the far end.

He– It– Was exceptionally tall, thin to the point of emaciation, and clad in a black suit. He could best be described as "humanoid," but it was clear at a glance that no human was shaped that way. Unrealistically long arms stretched past his knees, long pale fingers almost grazing the floor. The head was smooth and waxy white, and while it lacked any facial features its chilling gaze could be felt hungrily on them.

"Z-Zelos, who... What is that?" Lloyd asked, but he could feel his arm already being pulled.

"It's him! It's him!" Zelos shouted, pulling harder on Lloyd's arm. "We have to go. We have to go now! What are you doing?!" He asked as Lloyd looked to him, scanning the hall frantically behind them. "What did you do that for?!" When Lloyd looked at him in confusion he yelled, "_Never_ take your eyes off him! He's always watching!"

Something caught the dim light ahead of Zelos and Lloyd suddenly started pulling them the other direction as he made out a lean face just beyond the shadows.

"How is he doing that?" Lloyd asked as they rounded the corner, Zelos half-pulling half-supporting Lloyd down the hall.

"Don't talk, run!" Zelos gasped, throwing one glance behind them before doubling his efforts. "If we stop, he finds us."

Panting with the effort of hobbling along the hall with a battered body, Lloyd looked around for exits. Passing an open doorway he leaned back, pulling Zelos with him. "There, in there!"

Entering the doorway he realized it was simply a laundry room. Dank basins and lime-stained drains spotted the room, a rusted faucet dripped once every few seconds. Across the walls lettering was scrawled with an unknown ink, barely legible by the single light over the center of the room.

"No eyes. Always watching. No mouth. Always hungry." Lloyd read squinting to make out the large messy writing. He looked to Zelos uncertainly.

"I didn't write that!" Zelos denied loudly before hushing himself with a hand. He whispered, "I would have added, 'No ears, always hearing.'"

"Always waiting..." Lloyd muttered, noting the doorway on the other side of the room. Light could barely be seen around the corner, meaning the dark halls continued that way as well.

"Let's go back. He'll find us if we stay put." Zelos whispered, looking to Lloyd seriously.

Lloyd nodded, wincing as he turned himself with Zelos' help. Facing the door he saw the dark shadows of the hall shift and coalesce into a deeper blackness before him. A suited torso. Looking up, the faceless head stared into him.

A cry caught in his throat as his body's automatic reaction drove him backwards, Zelos barely keeping him balanced.

"Other door other door!" He yelled even though Zelos' ear was less than a foot away. Not daring to look back the two stumbled through the doorway and made for the end of another hall. They didn't have time to get their bearings, all that mattered was putting as much distance between them and the inhuman slender man as possible.

* * *

"Is it not opening?"

Colette shook her head. "It won't budge. You try?"

Presea slammed her small form into the huge door. Despite her unnatural strength the door didn't so much as creak.

"Do you think they locked it behind us?" Colette asked, using the knocker again.

"I think... We're not wanted inside." Presea thought aloud before trying the door again.

"Let's try it at the same time. Ready?" Colette asked, bracing herself over Presea who nodded and leaned lower against the door. "Go!"

The sudden burst of force as Colette's hands hit the door allowed Presea's constant push to get traction, and the door began to slide open.

"Yes!" Colette exclaimed, helping shove with one hand as they saw the entry hall again. "We... Made it?"

The hall was very different from what they remembered seeing. Lights seemed to have faded since they'd left, the bright crystal chandelier now dark and looming overhead, emanating a much more menacing feel to the home. Rain could be heard along the high ceiling and as lightning struck outside long shadows flashed across the walls.

"Raine?" Colette called nervously. "Sheena, Genis?"

"Colette!"

The girls looked up to see Genis on the upper level with an orb of fire hovering over his hand. As he recognized them he let out a sigh of relief, his hand dropping to let the flame go out. "Thank Martel, I'm so glad you're back. Where's Regal?" He asked, cold sweat visible across his brow as the girls reached the staircase.

"He went with Jake... They haven't returned?" Presea asked when they reached the top of the stairs.

"No... It just started getting dark all of a sudden, the lights have been going out, Raine's locked in that room," He explained quickly, thumbing over his shoulder at the closed door, "and Sheena went to go help Tiff with something. I got a bad feeling about all this."

"Raine's in there by herself?" Colette spoke simultaneously as Presea asked, "Sheena went alone?"

"Sheena's fine, Tiff's with her. It's Raine I'm worried about..." Genis answered, looking back to the door. Upon closer inspection scorch marks were visible across the length of it. "She won't answer me, and I can't get the door open with anything!"

The girls exchanged uncertain glances. "I think we should bring Sheena back." Presea said finally. "I don't trust anyone in this house."

Genis looked torn. "I want her to be safe, find Lloyd and Zelos and Regal, and figure out what's happening as much as you do. But I can't just leave Raine in there, what if she needs our help?"

Colette wrung her hands together in uncertainty. "I don't know what we should do."

"When lost in the wild, the best was to stay lost is continue wandering around." Presea told them, looking patiently up at Colette. "The best way to be found is stay in one place, and make yourself as noticeable as possible."

"So you think we should just stay here and wait for everyone to come to us?" Colette responded looking around unsure. "I mean what if Sheena needs help, or Regal hurt himself? What if everyone else is waiting right where they are for us to find them?!"

"Maybe she has a point." Genis nodded slowly to Presea. "We're at the crossroads here, where everyone disappeared. If Lloyd climbs out of the hole, or Sheena and Regal comes back, we're at the spot where everyone would meet. If we start going in or out, no one's going to find each other."

"So we just wait then?" Colette looked between both of them and the closed door.

"And trust in the others' abilities to get them safely back..." Genis added hopefully.

"And free Raine." Presea looked around the darkening room, spotting a large hearth to the side of the hall. She pointed to the decorative axes crossed over the mantle. "There."

Colette followed her finger and unfurled her wings, then floated over to hover above the hearth. Retrieving one clumsily and almost pulling the entire shield off the wall, she flew back.

Presea took the axe and hefted it in one smooth motion, then strode towards the door. Genis and Colette stood back as the small girl swung her weight around, bringing the axe down heavily on the side opposite the hinges. With a dull _thunk_ the axe embedded itself an inch deep into the wood, the door didn't so much as shudder. Presea frowned as she tried pulling the axe back.

She planted her foot on the door frame and tried again. Nothing. She stepped back, took a deep breath, exhaled. Then braced both feet against the frame practically standing horizontally against the wall, and hauled on the axe all her strength. It didn't so much as wiggle. Letting out a breath as she eased herself down, she faced them.

"I'm going to need more axes."

* * *

"No. No, no, no no no. Screw you."

"They're not going to find us here!"

"I'm not going up there!"

"So what, we wait around down here forever?"

Lloyd and Zelos stood arguing at the base of a stairwell. It went up, which was where they wanted to go, but it was also pitch black past the ceiling level. No light of any kind could be seen after a dozen steps leading up to the abyss where they very much didn't want to go. Zelos looked away from the stairs to meet Lloyd's gaze.

"Yes."

As Lloyd let out a breath of frustration Zelos explained excitedly, "Look around Lloyd, he can't get us here!" He pointed behind the staircase, the back of the small room where the only door was. Past the door stretched a well-lit hall almost a hundred meters long stretched. When they'd found the hall and the room at the end of it they thought they'd struck gold, but the dark stairwell was making them rethink that.

"Again, we're going to wait down here forever?" Lloyd asked, leaning against the wall to take the weight off his foot. When Zelos didn't answer he looked up. "Just shoot a fireball or something up there, give us some light. Then we can see if it's safe or not.

"Lloyd do you see that?" Zelos inquired, pointing up the stairs. "It's black. Not dark, _black_. There's _no_ light up there! Even if I cast one ball of fire am I just going to keep spamming them until we reach the top where we hope an exit is? I'm not a freak like Genis, man. Amazing as I am, I've got limits." Zelos shook his head. Lloyd was partially pleased that the more time they spent together the more Zelos returned to his normal self, but that did mean he became harder to work with. "And what if he finds us while we're up there, feeling our way along like blind rats? We're dead, we're so dead! Game over!"

"What if we don't make any noise? Don't talk, moving slowly?" Lloyd suggested, lowering his voice. "Maybe we could sneak past him?"

"Lloyd the thing doesn't have _eyes_!" Zelos reminded him loudly, pulling his eyelids down with his fingers, "You think he's going to have trouble finding us in the dark?!"

"A real man would go."

"Oh you are such a prick. If you're so manly why don't you go first?"

Lloyd flushed. "I, ah... Don't want to?"

"And you're riding my ass?!" Zelos asked incredulously.

"Hey, I'm not the courageous Zelos Wilder. You have a reputation to defend!"

"A reputation isn't going to score me any chicks if I'm _dead_!"

"We can't wait here, Zelos."

"Then man up and go take those stairs! I'll be right here with the light."

* * *

The sound of thunder made Sheena jump and look around, wide eyed. Even though they'd defeated Volt the sound was never going to be something she could be comfortable with.

She'd lost the maid some time ago after she had followed her up a flight of stairs. Sheena had been wandering the upper stories of the house since then, hardwood floors creaking under every footstep. Atmosphere aside, she was out of her comfort zone in telegraphing her presence with every step, not knowing what was around her, and that she could be heard coming from a hallway away.

"Tiff!" She tried again, straining her ears to hear over the rattling windows and howling wind outside. She glanced out a window she passed to see water, fog, and oncoming night all working together to limit her visibility.

She continued creaking along the hall until her trained ears picked up something that wasn't there before. Footsteps. It took her a moment to recognize them because she was used to hearing the constant creak of floor that sounded like it was about to give way, but they were definitely footsteps.

"Uhh, hello?" She called out, looking behind and in front of her. She couldn't tell where they were coming from, but shortly ahead her hall intersected with another. She moved to the side of the wall where her weight was more fully supported. She wasn't expecting an ambush, but her body told her to be ready for anything.

"Tiff? Lloyd?" She asked in a quieter voice as she neared the corner. "I'll take Zelos at this point..."

A blood-curdling scream pierced the air as a flash of clothing and hair ran past her. Sheena jumped as she pressed against the wall, trying to find where the woman had gone. The echoes hadn't even dissipated and already the hallway was empty.

She stared down the three halls she could see and then very carefully peered up the hall the figure had appeared from.

Lightning flashed through the windows and she felt the thunder tremble in her chest as the long walls ahead were suddenly painted with sharp shadows. At the very end a single door stood ajar. From what she could see it looked completely dark inside.

Throwing a glance back to make sure whatever ran past her wasn't now behind her, she took a step down the hall before freezing as common sense overrode natural curiosity.

"What the hell am I thinking?" She murmured to herself, still watching the doorway. She turned and went down the other hallway. "Tiff!"

"Help me..."

A low whisper came from every direction at once and Sheena's first reaction was to throw herself up against the wall again, scanning the length of the hall with a card in each hand.

"Please..."

The quiet plea was coming from the end of the hall. Sheena brought one card ahead of her and carefully moved in that direction. At the end a large door stood closed, the only other things in the hall being a window to the right with another closed door opposite it.

She shook her head to clear it as the hallway seemed to spin in front of her, blood pumping in her ears. Muffled whispers seemed to be coming from the door at the end of the hall, but was impossible to tell if they were in her ears or her head.

"H-hello?" She spoke half-voiced, unsure if she wanted to be heard or not. She shook her head more forcefully, slapping herself. She was a trained assassin, she could deal with creepy.

"Please... Help me..."

It wouldn't have been so unnerving if the voice didn't sound identical each time it repeated itself. Like a recording.

Sheena steeled herself. Walking along the wall and throwing constant glances over her shoulder, she strode purposefully to the end of the hall. As she drew near the door the whispering seemed to grow quieter. As she stood near the handle it took her a moment to remind herself she could hear rain it felt so silent.

"Ma'am, I'm coming in to help you. Please don't panic." She called through the door. No one answered.

"–e's coming..."

Sheena stiffened but refused to look behind her as the voice swam through the hall again. She wasn't stupid enough to tell herself it was "just her imagination," but right now someone needed her help, and she couldn't give it if she was hopped up on adrenaline and fear.

As she reached for the doorknob the thought hit her that trying to rationalize every sense she had telling her to run for her life might actually be putting her in more danger than not. She didn't know what was with this house or what was going on. Or what happened to Lloyd, or why hadn't they seen Zelos, and why was Raine locked in that room?

Sheena then realized she didn't want this door open. She didn't want to know whose voice it was and she didn't want to know what was on the other side. In fact, she wanted nothing more than to return to Genis and wait patiently for the others to find them. It was true, she wanted to find their missing members. But it was obvious now something was wrong with this house and at this moment in time she was possibly the most vulnerable of them all being alone.

"Run..."

The hairs on Sheena's neck stood as she distinctly heard the voice this time. She let her hand drop, turned on the spot and made a pace just short of jogging down the hall. She didn't make it five feet however before she heard the telltale _creak_ of the door opening behind her.

She stopped despite herself, turning slowly to look at the door. A little girl, couldn't have been older than ten, stood in the doorway. "You came back!"

Sheena stared at her in confusion. "I don't think we've met..."

"Have you seen my brother? Mommy says he's missing..." She asked sadly, watching her.

"N-no, I haven't." Sheena answered taking another step back. "L-look nothing personal, but I gotta run, 'kay?"

"He's coming..."

Sheena froze, seeing the girl hadn't spoken. She sincerely wished the girl would blink, watching her from the doorway.

Lightning struck outside and the light from the angle of the window illuminated the girl's features. Her face was completely smooth. No eyes, ears, nose. Nothing. A half second later the dim light of the hall returned, along with it her facial features. Sheena took an automatic step back as the girl continued watching her from the door.

The girl didn't seem intent on pursuing her and she turned as thunder resounded again. The distant opposite end of the hall was shrouded in darkness, but as lightning flashed she could see a tall, thin form silhouetted before disappearing.

"RUN!" The scream came from the wall beside her and Sheena herself let out a muffled cry.

Wasting no time she threw one card against the window across from her, shielding away by pressing against the wall as the glass blew out. She pushed off the wall making for her exit and let out another shriek as she almost collided with the tall suit standing before the window.

Screeching white noise filled her brain and it took all she had to keep her thoughts straight.

"Get away..." She mumbled aloud, stumbling down the hall. The greater the distance between them the clearer her thoughts became. "Just gotta get away..."

As she rounded the corner of the intersection where her initial encounter occurred she didn't even look behind her, having no desire to see _it_ standing there, or worse yet, nothing at all. She regained more motor control and made for the end of the hall, seeing a dead end. There was no way she would be allowed to make it back to the others...

Something caught her eye in the dark hall. A glint of metal, a handle sticking out of the wall. She ran her hand along it and resigned herself as recognition flared. If it only bought her some time...

Pulling the laundry chute open, she brought one leg up and carefully held the sliding door in place.

She knelt over the opening leading into the wall and reluctantly let her feet slide down the smooth metal surface as she lowered herself. Looking up one last time she made out a suit blacker than darkness standing mere feet from the chute, smooth pale face looking down at her. The white noise flared in the back of her mind and her body went numb, fingers letting go on their own. She slid down the chute as it closed, slipping from consciousness as her body free fell into darkness.

* * *

Raine looked up, noticing the dead woman was no longer glowering before her. She'd finished the journal some time ago and was now concentrating on feeding the ring around her, but her mana stores were not limitless and she sincerely hoped the others had found everyone and regrouped by now. The other side of the door had been silent since she'd last spoken to Genis.

Wiping a light sheen of sweat from across her forehead she cast a wary glance around. Deciding she should reserve some mana for when the apparition returned, she picked her staff up. The light faded away.

It was getting much darker than it should have been however, and Raine looked around wondering what was wrong. Noticing the fire had been reduced to embers she let out a forcibly calm breath. She breathed in again. And out. She was alone in the study, but there was no telling when her company would come back. She stood in the near pitch black, uncomfortable with how the darkness seemed to press down on her.

Raine slammed the staff into the ground again illuminating the dark room. Less than a foot away from her stood the dead woman before she was thrown back by the ring and disappeared into the wall. Panting slightly, she sat down in the chair again, feeding mana slowly into her ward.

She hoped the others would hurry...

* * *

"Jake!"

Regal stood atop a boulder over a large ravine catching his breath. Lightning lit the small slopes enough to reveal that Jake was not hiding there, thunder reverberating through the hills less than a second later.

He grunted in dissatisfaction as he returned to the rough path through the trees he'd been following. Jake had left him without a trail or heading and this path was the closest thing he had to finding him, the cabin, or the house again. He'd shown his hand too soon, he should have at least waited until Jake had led the way there or back.

The sound of a stick snapping over the ambiance of rustling trees and raindrops drew his attention. Moving in that direction he caught sight of something in the distance. Lights... Windows, of a small cabin. Likely the one Jake had mentioned. Keeping low, Regal moved between trees, keeping himself hidden from the windows as he approached.

He watched the windows for almost five minutes, suppressing shivers as the cold finally started getting to him through his soaked clothes, but no motion could be seen inside the house, no shadows or shapes blocking the lights. It was possible Jake had already come and gone.

Moving to one of the windows he glanced inside, one look giving him all he needed to map the room in his mind. Regal stepped out of sight again and moved carefully around to the front, noting the muddied pair of boots to the right of the doormat. Holding his breath he slowly turned the doorknob. The old wooden door didn't make a noise as it swung open to reveal the uninhabited single room, lit only by a lamp on the desk beside the window.

His brow furrowed and he moved to the bed, placing a hand on it, then the chair. Still cold. The lamp must have been from Jake, but it didn't seem like anyone had been here in some time.

A thick dripping sound made him look beside the chair. A puddle of black ink pooled under the desk, following the last drop up to the desktop he saw an overturned ink bottle and quill. A book lay open beside the lamp, unmarred by the spill, but the writing appeared recent. The words were still sharp-edged black lines, not yet faded or blurred as they would given a few hours time.

It only took him a second to read the entire two pages before him.

"I'm going to kill him." It read, the words scrawled jaggedly again and again in a frenzy of ink over the entire surface. Regal stared at the book then around the cabin. He flipped back a few pages to read the last entry that didn't repeat nonsense. If this was Mr. Ever's as he suspected, it could give some clue as to his whereabouts. Or who he was going to kill.

_Sarah mentioned him once more today. Said how he asked to come inside again. I reminded all the servants to not grant access to _anyone_ without my permission anymore. No travelers, no guests._

_He won't take my family. I'll do whatever I have to in order to keep them safe. Whatever it takes._

Regal marked his place then flipped back a few more pages, but couldn't find any reference to who Ever was writing about. He only started mentioning "him" in this entry. Returning to the original page, he read on.

_She_ let_ him in. My baby girl _let_ him in the house. She said he taught her how to sing on the piano. He could be anywhere. Anyone._

Thunder made Regal jump and check his surroundings again before skipping to the next entry.

_I've started seeing him too. The nosebleeds, the headaches. That... Horrible sound. But I see him in the forest. Outside our house. If..._ the next selection of words were tested and scratched out multiple times._ If I go to him, maybe he'll leave my family alone. Maybe I can kill it, and this will all be over. If not, Martel please protect my family. I didn't mean to bring him here. Don't punish them for my mistake._

The blurry picture's edges started to solidify in Regal's mind. He turned to the last page. It showed a stick figure amidst a blazing inferno. At the bottom it read: "Burn the pages. Kill the Slenderman."

"F-Father?"

Regal turned as he recognized Jake's voice. "No..."

"Dad?"

Regal looked at him sadly. "No, I'm not."

"Y-you're not my father." Jake looked at a spot at least a foot over Regal's head, a look of terror spreading over his features. "S-stay away!"

Regal looked grim as he slowly stepped out of the cabin to watch the memory unfold. The boy stumbled away from him into the rain, unable to take his eyes off of him. To confirm his theory Regal moved to the right.

The boy continued to stare at the spot he'd been.

"G-Get away!" Jake screamed, "Father!" He ran for the trees and Regal watched on, despite knowing how this ended. To avert his gaze would be disrespectful of the dead. Garbed screaming and begging could be heard from the edge of the clearing as Jake's torso began bleeding profusely. Regal knew the other party wasn't present, but the compulsion to help was still a terrible one to ignore.

With one last cry for help Jake was lifted into the trees and disappeared from sight, the sounds of his screams carrying through the forest until the rain and leaves drowned them out.

Regal looked down at the book. Assuming the worst, he wouldn't make it back to the house. Who knew if the others would be able to find this cabin again. Remembering the lamp Regal stepped inside. He quickly tore fistfuls of pages out of the book, crumpling them slightly as he laid them out together across the floor. He picked up the lamp and read the last page again, praying this would work, before slamming the lamp into the floor.

The pages burned quickly, much faster than he'd expected, and within ten seconds the last flame had died out.

Regal exhaled a breath he'd forgotten to let go, feeling the cold air around him as the wind rose outside. The sound of the door closing made him only then realize he was in utter darkness.

He exhaled again, this time in resignation. He would like to hold the wind responsible for closing the door behind him, but he'd been alive long enough to know that rationalization simply wasn't reliable.

Lightning flashed, windows letting in a fraction of the light. Just enough to catch on the smooth pale face appearing to hover in the dark by the bed.


	4. Return

**Happy Halloween! This chapter will conclude the much longer than initially expected short story started in late September, I hope those who've read this far have enjoyed it and that the ending won't disappoint! Easily the longest thing I've ever written, ever.**

**While I'd have liked to post this at night I think I'm going to be a busy, busy person today. Being chased by monsters through an obstacle course and zombie paintball, festivities abound!**

**And another thank you to Twilight Scribe, I laugh when I go back to reread how my original uncorrected sentences read. If I didn't have a beta this would be better logged under Humor at the absurdity of it at times.**

******Again, please let me know what you liked or what you thought could be better, I try to improve my writing at every opportunity and the Review function is most handy in that. I won't lie, it also just brightens my day and I put a lot of time into this. Any craftsman likes to know when their work is appreciated.**

**But enough author's notes, on to the final chapter...**

* * *

Raine opened her eyes and looked up. The ghastly woman had returned, but her presence wasn't what had drawn her attention. She looked behind her to the sealed door where she thought she'd heard... There it was again, another dull _thump_. She sincerely hoped that it was her companions alive and well, and not some other creature she would have to fight her way past should she make it out of the room.

"Hear that?" She asked, slightly winded as she turned around again, but the woman was facing the opposite direction. Somehow it was slightly more disturbing than before.

Closing her eyes Raine adjusted the quantity of mana feeding into the ward. The ring dimmed slightly as it shrunk closer around her. Opening her eyes again she saw the woman one step closer, just on the outskirts.

Ignoring her growing headache, Raine closed her eyes again and focused her energy on preserving her ward.

On the other side of the door an array of burns, ceremonial swords, daggers, an axe, various pieces of a table, and a dinner plate stuck out from odd angles making the wood appear to be a medieval pincushion.

Panting Genis leaned against the railing. "I don't know... What else there is..."

Beside him Presea looked down over the entry hall. "We should find a new strategy." She addressed Colette who had returned with another metal dinner plate.

Colette set the plate down on the ground. "But if magic and weapons won't damage it, what else is there?"

Genis walked over to try the doorknob again and was both relieved and disappointed it didn't open. "Maybe when the others come back they'll have an idea... Like one of Sheena's seals or something."

"We can't give up!" Colette exclaimed holding her fists in front of her. "The professor's in there!"

"We're not giving up, we're coming up with a new plan." Presea said, kneeling beside Genis. Despite the girl's monotone voice and robotic movements, she felt fatigue like anyone else and Colette immediately felt guilty for forgetting her friends weren't angels. "I just hope our friends return before the skinny man gets them."

Genis nodded, "Yeah, this place is definitely creepy enough... Wait," he frowned as he looked down at her, "Presea, how do you know that story?"

Presea looked up to him blankly. "Isn't that the story Lloyd told us this morning?"

Genis thought hard. "Yeah, but he never finished it."

Presea cocked her head.

"He told you the part with Matthew, but he never got around to saying what it was. What the myth was."

"Oh." Presea returned her gaze to the floor. "I just saw him after and thought that was it."

"You what?"

"She saw something outside before we came in." Colette chimed in, "She said it looked like a skinny man."

"No." Presea shook her head looking up to her, "I mean right after Lloyd's story. He was standing between the trees." Colette and Genis stared at her. "You didn't see him? He gave me a nosebleed." When Genis and Colette continued to stare at her in growing horror she added. "I saw him again when we were going to our room. Zelos saw him too."

Genis took a step away. "You... _Saw_ him?" Presea nodded. "And you didn't tell us?" She shook her head. "You thought that a skinny guy in a black suit hanging out in the forest watching us was _normal_?!"

"Lloyd had just finished with his story. You would all have thought I was making it up to frighten you." Presea explained calmly.

"Presea our friends are_ missing_! What if... What if _he_ got them?!" Genis asked in disbelief.

"I thought you had all seen him." Presea reminded him. "He was standing right there..."

Genis paced, fingers to his temple, his anxiety feeding Colette's. "Could she be right?" He asked her, "Could he be, y'know, real?"

"Presea's never lied before." Colette said, throwing a glance her way hoping this was the one time she was.

"She might not be lying, she might just be... Wrong?" Genis asked hopefully, looking to Presea as if to run the idea past her. She shook her head.

"No. I saw him three times today. He's following us."

Genis let out a small yelp as if hearing the words made the skinny man appear. "Okay. Okay so if he _is_ real, nothing's changed, right?" He asked looking between the girls sheepishly. "We're still waiting here for our friends. Only now we know _he_ might be after them. And us."

"It's important we stay together and remain calm–" Presea prompted.

"We are calm!" Genis and Colette exclaimed loudly.

"M-Mister Ever?!"

Genis and Colette stopped glaring at Presea to look towards the voice. As the three scanned the bottom floor Presea saw it first and pointed. It was hard to make out at this distance in the dark, but a maid's outfit could be seen standing before the closed door. Her shrill voice could be heard from the other side of the room.

"Sir, what's wrong? Are you hurt?" The maid knelt before an invisible man.

"Tiff?" Colette called out across the room. Tiff ignored her.

"Your hands! They're... Shall I summon the doctor?"

"Isn't Tiff supposed to be with Sheena?" asked Presea slowly.

"Where's Mr. Ever? I don't see anybody..." Genis squinted, trying to make out who Tiff was speaking to.

The three jumped as a splitting scream wrenched the air. Horrible sounds of meat and bones churning made them shrink away as the distant form of Tiff was lifted into the air and dragged along the ceiling towards them. Before they could move to help the chandelier swung violently, collar breaking as it fell to the floor with a resounding crash leaving a metal-rimmed hole the width of a cup in the ceiling. The three looked away as the still screaming Tiff was pulled over the hole, then yanked through it in less time than it would have taken to reach the bottom floor if they hadn't been rooted to the spot.

Silence was broken only by the passive sound of rainfall.

Still looking down, Genis shuddered. "Did that just happen?"

"I don't– Tiff, she..." Stammered Colette, trying to overcome the shock of what she just witnessed.

"Tiff was supposed to be with Sheena..." Presea muttered quietly, eyes on her feet. Her arms were around her two companions as they crouched against the railing, unable to move as lightning flashed once again around the entry hall.

* * *

"Three out of five."

"No, I won. Go."

"Scared I'll win?"

"Not as scared as you are of going up."

"Doesn't an honorable swordsmen show mercy on a beaten opponent?"

"By killing himself?" A pause with puppy eyes. "Fine, _one_ more."

"Three, two, one." Lloyd muttered throwing out his hand. He saw Zelos' and grinned. "Axe beats shield. Again."

"Four out of seven." Zelos demanded, crossing his arms.

"Zelos stop being a twelve-year old and go up."

"Make me!" Zelos said childishly dancing away. He stood by the door behind the stairs and leaned against the frame. "I'm not convinced staying here isn't the best plan we've had."

Lloyd opened his mouth to speak before he saw something at the end of the hall behind Zelos and his mouth dried instantly. "Uhh..."

"Think about it, he's never around the light, right? I'll bet he's afraid of it!" Zelos said quickly.

"Zelos..."

"Waiting here's the best chance we got!"

Zelos continued talking but Lloyd interrupted him. "I think he found us, Zelos." Zelos jumped as if he'd been electrocuted and spun around, back against the bottom of the staircase.

At the far end of the hall a suit's long thin arm, leg, half a head and torso could be seen protruding from the corner visible by the farthest light. It didn't move, facing them.

"Okay. Okay okay here's what we're gonna do." Zelos said nervously, cool demeanor shattered once more. "We're not gonna take our eyes off it, 'kay? I don't think he can move if we keep watching him."

"Zelos, this isn't a good plan." Lloyd whispered pushing off the wall and rolling his ankle gingerly in preparation to run.

"No, listen, we'll take turns blinking, right? That way he won't be able to get close." The light at the far end of the hall flickered. In the half second of darkness the silhouette had vanished.

Zelos gasped loudly in terror. "Lloyd! You didn't wait your turn!" A section of lights in the middle of the hall flickered and between two segments of darkness the black suit and pale faceless head could be seen before the light resumed, leaving an empty hall again.

"Oh no. No no no no no no no no." Zelos muttered sliding along the staircase to the wall and then back to where Lloyd was leaning. "No no no, not here. You're cheating!" He shouted at the hallway. "You can't do that!"

They stared at the doorway, waiting for the lights to flicker, for the pale face and long thin limbs to appear.

"Lloyd..." Zelos whispered quietly.

"What."

"I'm scared."

Lloyd didn't answer. A quiet noise like static, or electricity in the air, sounded in the back of his mind and was growing louder. He opened his jaw trying to pop his ears. "Do you hear that?" He asked out of the side of his mouth, not taking his eyes off the door.

When Zelos didn't answer Lloyd looked to him, eyes stopping on the stairs between them. Three steps down, a pair of plain black dress shoes led to two long thin legs which disappeared into the darkness above them. As his eyes traveled up the stairs the sound grew louder, blurring his thoughts.

"Zelos, move..." Lloyd grunted, pushing his companion along the wall as he stumbled forward. Zelos screamed when he saw it and grabbed Lloyd's collar, pulling him from the room and dragging him into the hall. "Where do we go?! Nowhere is safe!"

"G-get a grip!" Lloyd managed climbing clumsily to his feet. It felt like every limb had fallen asleep and he was amazed Zelos had been able to escape from the room let alone bring him along. They reached the end of the hall and put their backs to the corner, looking one way then the other.

Their light died about three strides down the darker hall, returning to the dank sewer-like catacombs of a basement. An elephant could be hiding in those shadows, let alone a thin teleporting creature of night.

Looking back, the brightly lit hall and room at the end beckoned welcomingly to them, telling them they were safe while they knew what was at the end of it.

Lloyd shared a look with his human crutch. Zelos shook his head, "No."

"Those stairs were the only way up we've found for however long we've been down here."

"Dude we _just_ saw him, _right_ there!" Zelos gestured to the misleadingly bright room beckoning them with the pretense of false security.

"And if we keep wandering these halls? How many more run-ins do you think we're gonna escape? He's getting closer each time."

"At least the halls give us someplace to run to. If we find him – if he finds _us_ in that stairwell, how many run-ins do you think we'll escape then?"

"What makes you think we're going to get any good chances here?" Lloyd asked, gripping Zelos' shoulder. "It took us long enough to find this exit, this may be the only _bad_ chance we get..."

Zelos bit his lip, looking between the two halls again.

* * *

Stiff fabric felt rough under twitching fingertips as they regained sensation. They extended, attempting to stretch before reaching their confines inches away. Legs followed suit only to discover even less room to move.

Her back extended and hit the top of her head against a metal wall making a loud _throng_. She recoiled clutching her scalp, free hand feeling around quickly. Below her standing-room-only prison was a floor of cloth material, bunched and piled atop one another. Above her cold dark air.

She breathed steadily controlling her claustrophobia as she reached up to feel anything. Then she remembered the black suit, the white noise, the pale face staring down at her as she slid into the laundry chute.

Sheena shrunk into a ball breathing heavily. She wasn't out of the woods yet. That thing was after her, and she was a long way from help.

Looking up she thought she could make out light above her... There was. Two beams of pale blue light fell across the wall of the chute as if the doors were left open before a window...

How long had she been unconscious? It was the worst thunderstorm she'd ever been in before she fell, there wasn't a chance in hell the moon would be out.

Her thoughts were interrupted by a feeling in her hand against the wall. A faint tremble, like something hitting the side of the chute. Her heart began to pound as she looked up, trying to perceive anything in the blackness past the second beam of light thirty feet above her.

The tremble ceased. Sheena held her breath waiting to hear or feel anything before the walls began to thrum roughly between pauses, like something was forcing itself along the surface.

Sheena crouched and began digging feverishly into the cloth under her, not knowing what articles of clothing she held in her hands, only that she needed it to be out of her way so she could make enough room to slip out. She couldn't be that far from the bottom, the fact that there was this much laundry piled up was ridiculous enough.

Looking up to gauge the distance between the two lights and her corresponding distance under the first, her heart pounded harder as something caught the second light and she squinted to identify it. It had the general shape of a woman's face after a wide warped mouth and twisted nose appeared, small black eyes lolling idly. But as it pushed itself further down Sheena realized anything that may have once been human about it was long gone. The neck behind the engorged head extended long, as if the body was serpentine in shape. With another throb in her chest she thought she recognized the mousy hair hanging down towards her.

"T-Tiff?!"

The abomination didn't respond, only thrust itself further down the chute blocking the second beam of light and Sheena wasted no time in returning to the job at hand. She estimated she was only a few feet away from an exit. Pulling up garments madly she dug along one side of the chute, aware of the increasing trembling and loud sliding sound above her.

As she pulled up a long-sleeved-something the back of her knuckles scraped against a rough uneven surface along the wall, drawing blood. Warmth ran down her hand as she laid flat against the small hole she'd made, arm as deep as it would go frantically pushing against the wall in sections trying to find the part that gave... There!

Slow mumbling drew her attention up to see that the first light beam had already disappeared, the blubbering voice overwhelmingly close in the darkness.

Sheena drove one foot down into the hole, kicking out. The sliding door opened enough for her to push part of her leg through, bending at an odd angle. She pushed her other leg down but her foot got caught on a pant leg. She tried kicking past it in growing panic and frustration but the rest of the pants were deep under the pile of clothes. She cursed, reaching down to remove the infuriating garment.

Quiet gasping just above spurred her to start kicking out violently, leg freeing. Sheena wedged the rest of her torso into the hole and started pulling herself through. Wispy hair trailed across her exposed face in the darkness and she screamed, struggling as her hands found the top of the chute frame. Kicking out and pushing herself down she slid the rest of her down the hole, into the opening of a pitch black hall. Twisting over the chute door she quickly slammed the metal shut. Feeling around and finding a nearby desk she pulled it beside the wall where it slid just under the handle.

She didn't know whether to break down sobbing or sigh in relief. She settled for sobbing in relief as she sank against the wall in the darkness, not even sure if she was safe here or if another terror waited just around the corner. Did she just escape one death only to wander into something far worse?

Wiping her eyes, she slapped her temples and stood, taking in a deep breath. While her training hardly covered anything she'd seen here tonight, it did prepare her to adapt and most importantly, survive. Crying and therapy could come after she was safe.

Sheena drew one card and felt along the wall in the darkness, leading with exploratory steps so she didn't run into anything. The cold and quiet was stifling. She couldn't even hear the rain from outside and she wondered if she had fallen so deep the sounds couldn't reach her or if this was just another trick of the house. She was aware her knuckles still bled lightly, but ignored the pain. It was distraction, diverting her focus away from paying attention to her surroundings.

Her foot bumped into something and she heard the sound of objects rattling on a table. Feeling along the finished wood her hand prodded a rounded metal base. Her heart leapt when she felt up the long neck of smooth glass.

Putting her card away, she patted along the surface of the desk searching for anything to make light. An empty vase, a platter covered in dusty overturned cups... She opened a drawer and felt around, finding nothing. Next drawer, fingers found a small booklet. She ran a finger inside and felt the flimsy matches. The glass chimney was hurriedly removed and set aside. The first match struck, lighting the hall before dimming as the small fire slowly moved down the shaft. Bringing it over to the wick of the small lamp she directed her sigh of relief to the side as the tiny flame caught, slowly illuminating the hall. As her hand moved towards the glass cover the light revealed someone standing almost directly beside her out of the corner of her eye.

She jerked away knocking the glass from the desk, card in hand again as she surveyed the empty hall. She let out a quick breath before holding it again. She wasn't going crazy, there _was_ someone there. She just saw them.

Turning slowly, she looked behind her to see the light dying away a few meters down the hall shrouded in blackness and wasn't sure if her newfound light-source made things better or worse.

Kneeling, she felt around while not taking her eyes off the hall ahead. Not finding the glass she took a step back, turning again as she expanded her search. Still nothing. Frowning she looked down, quick scan only seeing bare floor. It occurred to her she hadn't heard the glass break or even hit the ground. Abandoning the search she quickly stood, ears still straining to hear anything other than her own breathing echoing quietly in the hall.

Sheena grabbed the lamp base and took three steps forward before she thought she heard a faint rattling noise behind her. Putting her back to the wall and holding the light before her she continued sideways down the hall, the clink and scrape of what sounded like glass following close behind.

Quickening her pace as much as the small flame would allow without going out, she wondered how far the hall stretched as the sound grew closer. Her back brushed against a frame and her free hand shifted from sheltering the light to begin feeling for a handle, the clattering growing so loud it began reverberating off the walls.

She found the doorknob and thrust it open spinning inside, slamming the door behind her and accidentally blowing out her light. Cursing quietly, she fumbled in her pocket for the matchbook, grimacing as her scraped knuckles pressed against her clothes. Fingers felt the book just as ears picked up the quiet sound again, much quieter now but sounding less than a few feet ahead of her.

In her haste to light the match she broke the first and tossed it aside, blackness pressing in around her. Striking the second and putting it to the lamp's wick it made just enough light to catch a glimmer of something rolling towards her on the ground.

Sheena would have stepped back as an automatic reaction, but the door was in her way and she was forced to watch as the object slowed before bumping gently into her foot. Now that it wasn't moving she could see clearly what it was.

Stooping carefully to lift the glass chimney she looked around, unsure if this was another trap. When nothing jumped out of the darkness at her, she placed the glass back over the body of the lamp.

Immediately the room lit as if curtains were pulled to the side, golden light spilling across the floors from windows along the side of one wall. Sheena took in her surroundings in an amazed trepidation. Part of her was set at ease by the dust drifting lazily in the warm light before the windows, another was reminded how quickly things took a turn for the worse in this house.

She gasped softly as ghostly furniture materialized around her and it took a moment before she realized she was standing knee-deep in a coffee table. Stepping away, smoky tendrils clung to her before pulling back to their ethereal wood. Keeping her back to the wall she moved towards the nearest window, glancing out. Only lustrous gold could be seen, almost blinding as she tried piercing the veil of light.

"So? What do you think?"

"I don't know... It isn't... Too much?"

Sheena turned to see two figures walk directly out of the wall opposite her, stopping just before the next set of windows.

"The children will love it, and you deserve nothing less than the best." The man's deep yet hollow voice spoke across the room, own voice echoing after himself. A pause.

Sheena moved closer, but the nearer she drew the more hazy and incorporeal they became until they were nothing more than wisps of light hovering off the ground. She moved away again and their images sharpened.

"You already spoke to the owner..." The woman's voice admitted, also echoing. Another pause.

"Yes, and he won't be returning for a long time. The house is ours, if we move now." He continued their halting conversation. Pause.

"Okay." She echoed hopefully, "I trust you. If you think this is best for our family..."

They stared at each other before the man nodded. "It'll be great. You'll see."

The light from the windows began to dim. Sheena looked around as the furniture began to dissipate, two apparitions fading away.

"We'll need some servants. This place is too big for just us..."

The room was dark again, immediate area lit only by her lamp. She felt along the wall where the windows had been, finding only stone like the floor. Where in the house was she?

Walking along the wall faster now her lamp had its cover and wouldn't be extinguished, she quickly crossed the room to the opposite wall and stood before the door.

She hesitated a moment, but quickly admitted the only way to go was forward and pushed it open. Half expecting to see another illusion she looked around her sphere of light, slowly panning her lamp to one side then the other.

Some distance behind her a door creaked softly. She spun. The door she just passed through was still open. It was the door on the other side of the room she just left. Her evade-detection instincts kicked in as she knelt, holding her lamp behind the door before realizing someone in the other room could easily see the only source of light. No other sounds could be heard from the black doorway in front of her, but she slowly twisted the doorknob while closing the door, releasing it gently to let the bolt slide quietly back into position.

Entrance temporarily secured she moved along the wall again, covering the ground her light illuminated in less than a second as she scanned the darkness for another door, stairs, anything to lead her out of here.

She had no idea where she was or where she was going, only that something was following her, herding her, and she was on its turf. She couldn't know if she was walking directly into a trap or evading one by inches, and the unknown of whatever was in the darkness with her, potentially mere feet away outside her bubble of visibility was terrifying. How had she so quickly turned from Rescuer to Victim?

Sheena mentally kicked herself, she had no idea what the others were going through right now and it wasn't fair to assume she had the worst of it. This place seemed in no danger of running out of horrors to lurk after them. She might actually be having the easiest time, but that didn't make it any easier as she stumbled suddenly, almost losing her lamp.

Ahead of her a figure suddenly loomed tall and she stifled a scream as she fell backwards. A black suit stood facing away from the wall, straight arms and legs locked out. She lifted the lamp higher as she crawled backwards, heart pounding a mile a minute, before seeing the head. While featureless and white, it seemed... Too smooth. And caught the light from her lamp all wrong.

She stood and held the lamp in front of her guardedly, ready to bolt at a moment's notice, but no noise pricked up in the back of her head and she didn't have the distinct feeling of being watched as before. Moving closer, the head appeared plastic. A cautious hand rose to prod the man.

The mannequin pushed to the side and rocked back as she withdrew her finger. Sheena let out a deep breath she'd been holding and walked around the front of it, staring at the black suit. The limbs weren't as freakish, it wasn't nearly tall enough, and the head was somehow much more human shaped. Another sigh of relief as she leaned forward, resting her head against the mannequin's chest as her heart rate returned to normal.

"You stupid wannabe." She muttered, "You have no idea how badly you scared me..."

Two thin weights wrapped around her back in a light hug and she lurched away, almost losing her lamp again. She spun round, seeing nothing in the blackness before looking to the mannequin again. It stood there, as motionless as before.

"I hate this place..." Sheena whimpered, carefully stepping to the side of the wall again. She walked around to the back of the suit and placed a seal on the collar. Closing her eyes and focusing her energy through her free hand the card exploded, sending pieces of plastic and fabric raining into the darkness.

She waited for the sounds of debris littering the stone floors, hitting the walls, anything. They didn't. The only sound she could hear was when the flame occasionally fluttered and the pounding of her heart in her ears.

"I hate this place..." She repeated, fumbling along the wall again trying to find another door.

* * *

"Ow!"

"Shut up."

"You keep kicking my foot!"

"I'm _sorry_! In case you missed the memo I can't see in the dark! Now would you kindly shut the hell up?" Zelos hissed, listening hard for any signs their stalker heard them as they made another ninety-degree turn in the stairwell.

Lloyd didn't respond, leaning on the rails as he shuffled himself up another few stairs. It was exhausting work. As if however many steps they'd already been up wouldn't be hard enough, he had to hop them on one leg. Eventually he settled for sitting down and pushing himself up a few stairs as at time.

"Y'know it'd be faster if you just went ahead and scouted to see if this was even the way out." Lloyd whispered, catching his breath as he took another break.

Beside him the rustling of clothes signaled Zelos had knelt. "That's awful brave of you to suggest. You really think I'm coming back down here if I found the way out?"

"Think the odds are about as good that you just run into him so I figured it was fair." Lloyd grinned in the darkness. He could sense rather than see Zelos' own grin sour.

"I'll go ahead and wait for you. Take your time."

"Suit yourself..." Lloyd muttered pulling himself up. He hopped another few steps with Zelos' help before the older man stopped dead. "What's wrong?" He whispered quietly. "Zelo–?"

A very quiet _Shhh_ came from beside him and he leaned against the rail so as to keep his clothes as silent as possible. He brought a hand to Zelos' shoulder, squeezing it inquisitively.

In response a finger came out of the dark to flick his nose, Zelos' signature "Shut up now, you're making me look stupid in front of the hot chick" move, only missing the nose by two inches and hitting Lloyd directly in the eye.

Lloyd swore, reeling away as a voice from the top of the landing called "Gotcha!" ensuing the next several moments of chaos.

The sudden rustling of clothes was heard as Zelos started to call out "Hel–?" before being cut off with an _Oomph_.

Lloyd heard him double over before feeling an impact on his forehead and hearing knuckles pop. Lloyd braced against the rails feeling dazed, knowing he would be seeing stars if he could see anything at all, and hearing an "Ow!" from above him. He recognized that voice.

"Sh-Sheena?" He managed, shaking his head to make sure he wasn't imagining things. A pause.

"Lloyd? Lloyd is that you?"

"And Zelos..." Zelos groaned from where he lay.

"Oh my god, I'm so sorry!" Sheena's voice apologized as hurried footsteps came down towards them. Lloyd heard her stop where Zelos was, helping him up. "I'm so sorry, I've been alone this whole time and didn't think I'd ever see any of you again!" Her voice sounded close to tears. "I'm so glad you're okay!" She sniffed.

"You're alone? I'm glad you're okay too, but what happened to the others?" Lloyd asked her general direction. She and Zelos were only a few feet away but he still couldn't be entirely sure where they were. A pause.

"...Lloyd?"

"Zelos. But I mean it's cool if you still want to keep holding me–" Nonchalant chatter became an effeminate cry tumbling past Lloyd.

Zelos' feet barely passed Lloyd before he felt arms thrown around him, "I'm so glad you're okay! I'm sorry for hitting you."

"I-it's fine," Lloyd chuckled nervously patting her head, "I heard you the first time. I'm still glad you're okay too."

"I'm okay too!" Zelos' voice added from the bottom of the landing. "I think. Or that might be a bone... Can one of you guys come check this?"

"How did you get separated?" Lloyd asked her, ignoring Zelos.

"Long story. The important thing now is getting back to the others. Have you two found any ways out?"

"Oh yeah, several." Zelos' voiced called up the stairs as they heard him climbing to his feet. "We just, y'know, like it so much here..."

"Take it that means the top of the stairs isn't a way out either?" Lloyd asked disappointingly.

"I dunno, I just came through a side door when I heard you on the stairs. I didn't know they went up."

"You came all this way in the pitch black? How haven't you been taken yet?" Zelos asked in amazement.

"I had a lamp, up there..." Her voice trailed away as they heard her patting her pockets. "I can't find the matchbook... I turned it off when I heard you two. I thought you were another monster."

"_How_ haven't you been taken yet?" Zelos asked again in greater amazement before a loud smack resounded around the stairs.

"We couldn't have fallen too far from the house, if there is an exit here it shouldn't be much farther." Sheena said confidently.

"You sound pretty sure of it." Lloyd grinned, following her up the steps gingerly.

"I got you... And him, I guess, with me again. Even if it's a trap, we can handle it. I'm not worried." She said ahead of them.

"I'm not sure if I feel safer with her back with us or not..." Zelos muttered beside Lloyd on the stairs, helping him up the next flight.

"Guys I think I found something!"

"Is it an elevator? If not I'm probably not interested..." Zelos answered, outright lifting Lloyd up another few steps.

"I think it might be better..." She grunted as they heard her press against something. "If we can get it open anyway."

"Do you need a light? Oh wait..." Zelos mocked leaving Lloyd's side to investigate whatever Sheena had found.

"Actually smartass, that would be helpful. Make a fireball or something."

"We'd be able to see for like two seconds, I can't keep it going like Genis."

"Better than how much we can see now! I don't even know what we're feeling here."

"Alright alright, stand back and prepare to be impressed. And don't blink cause you might miss it."

"Yeah, I'm sure I'm not the first girl to have heard that. Just make the fire."

Lloyd heard them step back down the stairs before fire materialized in front of Zelos, streaking forward. In the bright flash of light it left they could see what appeared to be a large stone slab preventing them from proceeding. As if this section of the house had been sealed completely.

"That... Looks like a dead end." Zelos sighed dejectedly. "Ready for the long walk down, Lloyd?"

"Not yet..." Lloyd answered, putting a hand on Sheena's shoulder. "How many seals do you have left?"

* * *

He crashed through another rosebush, large thorns ripping clothes and exposed skin. A glance behind revealing nothing but the dark forest, watching him silently.

Regal caught his breath and slowed to a light jog, saving his energy for when it appeared again. The Slenderman, the creature that had been stalking them since they'd left Luin earlier that day was closing in on him, each time it appeared seeming closer and closer.

The rain had stopped some time ago and the only sounds from the forest were the occasional drip of water or chirp of cricket. That was Regal's advanced warning – the insects. When they stopped making noise it was because they sensed something in the area a human didn't and it was his cue to keep moving.

Suddenly feeling lightheaded he swayed and leaned against a tree. Exhaustion and blood loss caught up to him, dark fluid still streaming down his forearms, bits of glass clinging to his long hair. He shuddered as he pinched a thick sliver between his nails and slid it out from the middle of a large gash across his wrist. Trying to find another, he flinched as he prodded a cluster of a dozen shards. It was no good. As if being handcuffed wasn't difficult enough he had no tools or medical supplies to extract even half of the pieces embedded in his open wounds. He would need Raine's help in taking out the others and treating the multiple lacerations from his window stunt. It seemed like the logical escape at the time, and certainly wasn't anticipated by the Slenderman, but he was paying for it now.

A cricket's chirp stopped short. Eyes flew open to examine the landscape. Trees, light mist hanging in the chilled air, nothing to suggest this was anything more than a typical eerie forest night. But Regal knew better.

He spun around the tree, ducking back immediately and setting off in a random direction. It was always facing him, always knew where he was, the only way to postpone capture would be to be as erratic and unpredictable as possible.

His stomach plunged as his foot missed its landing, stepping out over the air of a small cliff. The rest of him followed shortly after, landing face down about ten feet lower than he was two seconds ago. Grunting as he picked himself up, he felt the dirt beneath his bloody fingers. Fine, like sand. Wet, but of a different texture than the forest dirt. He patted around, standing to get a better view.

This was the path they'd walked along on their way to this nightmare. Which meant the house was...

He looked in the direction of the mansion, squinting to make out the path. He stumbled a few steps, focusing on his breathing to control the pain throughout his body. A cricket chirped nearby, providing a momentary calm as he allowed his eyes to rest while he placed one foot in front of the other.

Again the sound stopped and he opened his eyes wearily, looking ahead. Something stood at the end of the next bend, barely visible by the dim moonlight that made it through the clouds. While it wasn't what he was expecting, it didn't put his mind at ease.

A woman garbed in a white sleeping gown, long black hair covering her features, hovered several inches off the ground facing him. As he stood unsure of how to proceed, a thin pale arm rose along with her face, wide white eyes visible from this distance as he pointed at him.

White noise erupted in his head but before he could fall to his knees two large strong hands clamped over his shoulders, turning him. A pale smooth face towered above him as he began to lose consciousness. He couldn't move, every muscle gone numb as the noise in his own mind blocked out all thought. He could see rather than feel the long thin fingers caressing the side of his face.

Suddenly the Slenderman looked up, behind him as if something caught its attention. As the noise lessened Regal's hazy vision glimpsed the tall figure standing over him. One blink later it was gone. Regal's head lolled and he slumped to the ground, hands no longer supporting him.

His eyes shot open as the sound of a cricket chirping brought him to his senses. The forest path ran vertical across his vision. Wincing as he brought himself up to his knees, he looked around in confusion.

He didn't know what had distracted his hunter moments before it closed for the kill but he wasn't wasting this chance. Legs still asleep, he clumsily staggered down the path, rain beginning to patter the ground around him again.

* * *

"And here was me hoping you were gone for good this time..."

By the flickering light immediately surrounding her the woman had returned, standing less than a foot away. "I don't suppose you have any longer errands to run."

The woman's neck cracked as it jerked abruptly.

"Then I hope my companions send you back to hell..." Raine breathed, brows knit as she focused the last of her mana.

The ring of light stuttered, and died.

* * *

A low rumble shook the walls of the mansion.

"Is that an earthquake?!" Genis yelled grabbing the banister, vases crashing around the entry hall as several items shook off the desk near the locked door.

"No, it felt like... An explosion...?" Presea stated questioningly, looking to Colette.

Colette popped her ringing ears. "It sure sounded like one. Do you think that was the others?"

"Who knows how to build a bomb?" Genis asked incredulously, looking down over the entry hall.

Footsteps could be heard fast approaching from the passage Sheena and Tiff had disappeared to.

At first it appeared as if three ghosts wandered into the hall before they became recognizable by their clothes and gait. Covered head-to-toe in gray dust and dirt emerged Lloyd sporting a broad grin, supported by Sheena who looked spent yet victorious, supported by Zelos who was coughing meekly.

"Lloyd! Sheena!" Genis shouted running down the stairs.

"Zelos!" Colette added, never one to leave him out.

"You guys look terrible." Zelos stated dryly, looking over Genis' sweat drenched clothes and Presea's mud-suit. "What have you been through?" Genis opened his mouth to answer before he cut him off, "We had it worse."

"Where's Regal and Raine?" Lloyd asked Colette, smile fading slightly. "Sheena mentioned she was trapped."

Genis led them back up the stairs to the locked door, still bearing an armory's worth of makeshift weapons embedded in the side. "Nothing's opening it. We can't leave here without her."

"Not to be _that_ guy..." Zelos opened, leaving Sheena propped against Colette as he wiped the layer of dirt from his face. "But right now we're sitting six-for-eight... You really think we're gonna get a better deal than this?"

"Zelos!" Colette exclaimed indignantly after a moment of processing what he was saying. "We'd never leave them behind, how can you even suggest that?"

"I'm trying to be realistic here, saving the most number of people."

"I'm not leaving the professor or Regal here either, Zelos. You saw what we ran into, no telling what they're going through."

"Exactly, how do we even know they're still... Y'know. Or they might have bailed already! Regal's a resourceful guy, how much you wanna bet he's already in Luin asleep in that only hotel room?"

A loud crash from downstairs made everyone jump. "The hell is that...?" Zelos muttered staring into the darkness. A window beside the door had broken and a form lay wounded and gasping on the floor amidst shattered glass.

"Regal!" Colette shouted, sprouting wings.

She swooped down the hall and with difficulty flew the large man back to the second floor.

He was covered in blood, large gashes across his arms split wide by the glass, chunks still protruding from his skin.

"'Course he makes the appearance to prove me wrong..."

"Zelos!" Sheena scolded. He backed away hands up defensively. She knelt by Regal overcoming her weariness to place her hands over his wounds. "We need Raine!" She turned to the others, "How do we get the door open?"

"I told you, nothing's working! No magic, no weapons, it's immune to everything." Genis responded going back to the door. "I don't suppose you _didn't_ use every card you had?" He directed at Sheena, who shook her head.

"Had to be sure it worked."

"Door sealed..."

Everyone turned to hear Regal moan, rolling onto his side so he could breath easier. "Couldn't get door... Open. Girl..." He panted, looking to Colette. "Use your... Magic."

"Everything here is using dark magic," Genis thought aloud, looking to Colette, "if dark magic sealed the door, maybe angelic powers can break it!"

"Uh, ah, okay!" Colette nodded nervously, "But what should I–"

"Anything! Anything angelic!"

"Ah, right!" She stood before the door and closed her eyes, holding her hands out as a white light began to shine from her palms. Opening her eyes, she directed the energy into the door in force, which turned jet-black before beginning to crumple. A clatter of weapons hit the ground.

"Raine!" Genis called running to the door. "Raine can you hear me!" He conjured a ball of fire.

Light caught on the hem of her robes, sitting in a chair. He held the light higher, seeing her slumped form. "Raine! Guys she needs help!"

"Regal needs help!" Sheena answered, Presea moving his arms so she could better compress more area at once.

Genis entered the room with Colette and Zelos, moving straight for Raine's chair. He picked up her head.

Her eyes fluttered open. "Genis?"

"Sis!" He flung his arms around her, extinguishing the light. She gently patted his back in the darkness. "Are you alright? Can you move?"

"Yes, just... Spent of mana." She spoke breathlessly. She spotted Colette's silhouette. "Help me up – so we can get out of here. Did you – find the others?" The girl nodded absentmindedly.

"Yeah but... Is this your friend, professor?" She asked curiously, pointing to the end of the shaft of light coming in from the hall, falling across a pair of bare feet.

Raine struggled to get up and Zelos moved quickly to assist. Genis brought his ball of fire up again and saw another person standing in the room with them. He immediately rose his other hand to summon a spell but Raine's arm stopped him.

"She's not..." She shook her head, trying to form an articulate sentence with the fewest words possible. "She didn't kill me."

The four of them stood motionless before her, unsure what it was she wanted. Slowly an arm rose, pointing to the desk.

"Whoa that's the lady! Zelos that's the ghost I saw!"

Zelos turned to see Lloyd in the doorway, Sheena peering over his shoulder to see what the holdup was. "I don't think she's hostile now..." He said turning back to the ghost.

"She tried to kill me!"

Colette had moved to the desk, careful to keep her eyes on the apparition should it make any sudden movements. "Hey Raine, did you see this journal?"

Raine glanced over before facing the woman again. "Yes. I had some time – in here."

"What does she want with it?" asked Zelos as he slowly began making his way toward the door with Raine.

Colette looked up to the woman who turned, looking down into the empty hearth. "I don't know. But what is this book Raine? Why are the pictures so..."

"Creepy." Genis finished from beside her. He ran the fire-free hand along a page, looking over a picture of a stick figure sprouting dozens of arms.

A scream from the other room.

Lloyd and Sheena spun to see Presea flailing as she lifted into the air. In front of her stood Regal, his long limbs somehow much longer, and much slimmer than they remembered. Thunder resounded outside accompanied by a flash as lightning struck nearby. In the split second of light dozens of thick black tentacles could be seen flowing from Regal's back, one wrapped tightly around the levitating girl, his face completely smooth. When the dim light resumed only Regal stood before a hovering Presea.

"R-Regal?!" Sheena yelled, stepping forward. "Put her dow– Ah!" Sheena's leg was snagged by something invisible, dropping her to the floor and almost dragging her over the balcony before Lloyd grabbed her arms.

A second later something thick roped around his neck and he tucked his chin. It felt like a python was constricting around him. He was forced to let go of Sheena he struggled to free himself from the unknown crushing entity, eyes watering as he gasped for air. Sheena kicked and rolled but was pulled out over the center of the room, dangling there helplessly. Regal rose off the ground, seemingly oblivious to Sheena or Presea as they struggled against air, and hovered backwards over the railing to the center of the room,

Zelos knelt sweeping one of the swords from the threshold into a smooth movement ending in a downward slash. Instantly Lloyd felt the pressure release as if the hidden python had evaporated. He nodded to Zelos before scrambling for the door and grabbing a sword of his own.

Genis stood in the doorway, arms finishing a circling motion before thrusting out. Lightning shot from his fingertips, arcing across the room into the floating Regal in a long chain of electricity. Bright blue light illuminated the hall as the voltage contorted and twisted jaggedly through the air. For every black tendril there was another snake-like shadow on the wall and it was impossible to count them all as they writhed. Faceless-Regal watched him expressionlessly.

Zelos leapt from the railing and cut through three on the way down before another coiled around his wrist. He swung around into the wall, slamming against it hard before swinging down arm-first directly into the floor. He cried out as his elbow twisted and a loud crack rang through the hall, the sword clattering away.

"It's not working..." Genis grunted through gritted teeth to Lloyd who was swiping at tentacles that made for the mage. Behind him Colette nursed Raine, who was making an effort to rise but couldn't even walk unsupported. "I don't think I'm fazing him!"

No sooner had the words left his mouth than a wall of black ropes slammed into Lloyd, sword cutting only one deep before he was thrown backwards into the current of lightning. In an instant the room darkened as Lloyd hit the ground, sizzling. He breathed heavily, body loosening after the intense shock wore off, when a serpentine limb snaked around his torso and lifted him away.

"Lloyd!" Genis shouted before an invisible force knocked him to the side as wind rushed into the room, pulling out Raine. Colette fought against those she made contact with, angelic strength ripping them apart with her bare hands, but once one got a hold on her the others quickly surrounded. She was pulled out, arms and legs bound to her sides.

Genis slashed the air before him with flame, black cords suddenly visible and recoiling slightly before the light disappeared. He didn't even have a chance to raise his hands again before something wrapped around his ankle from behind, yanking him upside down and pulling him out with his companions.

While he hung he caught sight of Regal, to see it wasn't Regal anymore. The tall thin suit he'd only heard about in stories floated over the middle of the room, pale faceless head still looking forward as if completely unaware of everyone else.

Movement out of the corner of his eye made him look to see Raine drop something from where she hung. It hit the floor and fell open, revealing a picture of an eye staring up at the chaos overhead.

As if time slowed he saw the Slenderman turn and look down. That book was the first thing to bring its attention to its surroundings. Genis looked between it and the book before stretching out a hand. The book closed suddenly, whisking away to safety out the broken window. The room was filled with a horrible electric grinding noise, so loud it was impossible to think straight. Genis shook his head trying to block it out but it only got louder – he wondered why his eardrums hadn't busted.

Opening his eyes painfully he blinked, wondering if the sound really was driving him mad. Under him stood Regal, holding open the book. Without a reason or a care why Genis swiped clumsily at the only thing he could see, a picture of the man coming out of a forest. A small flame not at all befitting his caliber of magic licked the page.

Genis' eyes widened as he saw the book, Regal and floor approaching him rapidly. Regal dropped the book and caught him, setting him rightside-up. Around him sounds of bodies hitting the hard floor echoed around the hall. Lloyd crashed into a table, sending silverware scattering. Above him the Slenderman turned, noticing him for the first time.

He concentrated all his energy on simple fire but the growing sound made it so difficult to focus. Regal moved to engage the Slenderman who was descending towards him.

Genis grit his teeth. Casting fireballs at critters. Burning plants. Lighting homework. He focused on the simplicity of it rather than the spell itself, and flame began flickering between his hands.

Regal lunged toward the Slenderman before pain split his abdomen. He looked down, seeing two large pools of blood growing across his shirt. He slumped to his knees, shuddering as the invisible objects slid out, fine dress shoes striding past him towards the boy kneeling before the book.

Long fingers extended downwards over the boy's back, easily capable of palming his entire body.

Genis slammed his hands down on either half of the open book, fire coursing through his hands. He heard the terrible grinding sound again, intensified two-fold but not in his head this time. As his mind cleared of its haze he focused harder, standing to cover more area as he put more flame through the pages, not letting a scrap escape.

Behind him the Slenderman reared, clutching its head as its mental scream split his ears.

The book was less than ash when Genis sank to his knees, unsure how long he'd held the spell for. He wearily glanced over his shoulder, seeing only Lloyd stirring. The horror was nowhere to be found.

Genis turned and put his forehead to the cool floor. "Guys... Please someone answer me."

"We're here... Good work Genis..." Lloyd mumbled from his bed of forks and spoons.

"Are the others okay?"

"Uhh, guys?" Lloyd called, tone changing to urgent. "Guys, we gotta go." He staggered to his feet ignoring the pain in his leg as he moved to pick Zelos off the ground. "We gotta go, now!"

Genis looked over and noticed he could see Lloyd clearly. He was lit up, as was the rest of the room. The far end of the halls had begun to burn, fire creeping up the walls quietly. Rising quickly he moved to Raine who was being helped by Presea. Colette threw Regal over her shoulder and made for the door as Sheena appeared from behind a couch holding her head.

"Let's move guys, out of the house now!" Lloyd called out, hobbling with Zelos towards the door.

"It won't open!" Colette shouted turning with Regal still over her shoulder.

"Here!" Sheena called them over, running her boot along the bottom of the window clearing it of glass. "Go, one by one go!"

The group made it outside and stood at the end of the courtyard, watching the nightmare burn.

"We didn't imagine this, right?" Lloyd asked suddenly as the west wing collapsed into the house.

"You'd have a sick imagination if you did..." Sheena answered, sitting down and holding her head again. "Oh, forgot to give this back..." She reached into her pocket and held something out for Lloyd. He recognized it and smiled, placing it back in his keycrest. She turned to Zelos, "We found yours too but..."

"Yeah yeah, I'll wait for Raine to have the energy to put mine back. Right now she has more important things to do..."

Raine stood from where she used what little mana she'd recovered to close Regal's most life-threatening wounds. "That's very noble of you, Zelos."

"Hey I meant fixing my arm!" Zelos winced, pointing with his good hand.

"She just saved Regal's life, who almost sacrificed himself to save all of us." Colette reminded him, bending down to help the large man off the ground.

"Whatever, I guess it can sit on the back-burner for a while. It's fine. Chicks dig scars." Zelos turned to Sheena. "You dig scars right?"

Sheena rolled her eyes as she stood. "I hear Luin has a room available..."

They shared uncertain glances that held an entire conversation.

"What, all the way back there?"

"It's so far..."

"It took us all morning to get here!"

"Would you rather sleep here?"

"I can stand watch if you guys want to sleep..."

"Those are our options."

"There's no telling what else may be here..."

"Let's at least get clear of the forest."

Without a spoken word they set out in the dark, weary eyes watchful as they all walked a little closer together than when they'd come up the path earlier that day.

"Just one thing, how did you know we needed to burn the book?" Lloyd asked Genis after some time of walking. Crickets chirped loudly making the entire forest seem alive.

"I just saw him look at it and... I don't know, just figured it was important."

"And you, bringing it back in?" Lloyd directed to Regal.

"I read the journal of Mr. Ever." He explained, deep voice slightly shaken. He leaned heavily on Colette who also cheerily supported Raine with ease. "It mentioned," he paused, grimacing as he held his side, "mentioned burning 'the pages.' When I saw the book thrown out the window I just assumed..."

"Well, if we didn't get all of them the house sure did..." Zelos muttered dryly. "Nice going with the pyrotechnics there squirt."

"I told you, I didn't set the house on fire!"

"Right, trying to get out of the fact that you burned all our supplies and weapons?" Zelos smirked. His sneer turned to cry as Genis jabbed his elbow. "Watch it! My arm's broken you twerp!" Another jab.

"Relax, Presea kept the money."

"Colette, no one else appears to be smiling. Is it appropriate to do so?" Presea asked her curiously. At her words everyone turned to see the blonde girl flush under their collective gazes.

"I-I'm just happy everyone's okay!" She stammered quickly, looking around to all of them. "I spent most of the night worried about all of you, I'm really happy we all made it through this. With a... Little wear and tear?"

"My arm's broken." Zelos pointed, "Right here."

The group hiked on throughout the night, occasional chatter breaking the sound of forest nightlife. A few rests were afforded where Raine could spend an ounce of mana to ease some of their pain and make the journey a little more bearable.

By the time Luin was on the horizon the group was mute, trudging towards the town as it got brighter outside. They crossed the bridge leading into the city as the sun broken over the plains to the east.

The eight of them crowded around the single hotel room, not wanting to have separated even if there had been an option to. While they spoke easily and joked aloud inside they were all coping with the horrendous things they'd experienced. It would be some time before any of them slept through the night alone again, but for now they had each other to lean on.

Regal sat fast asleep against the headboard of the stripped bed, cross-legged as his head fell back against the top of the headrest. He was supposed to have the bed for his injuries, but refused to be the only one enjoying its comfort. In the middle and the foot Presea and Genis lay with feet hanging over opposite sides of the bed. As the night wore on most of her mud peeled off on its own, but she was still in need of a bath. Genis could have used one too, but was so exhausted by the time they made it to the room, figured it could wait.

Across the small room Lloyd slept quietly on the ground, arms folded, leg elevated on a small chest. On either side of him Colette and Sheena lay heads resting on his shoulders, blanket from the bed draped across all three of them. Colette didn't need rest but liked to lay here anyways. It comforted her to be reminded of a simpler time. Sheena mumbled something in her sleep and nestled deeper into Lloyd's shoulder.

Raine was seated along the elevated windowsill, reading book laying unopened in her lap as morning sunlight beamed into the room. Against her leg propped the bed's pillow, Zelos sleeping against it. She promised she would heal his arm as soon as she had the mana, but first she needed sleep. He was going to ensure it was the first thing she remembered to do when she woke up.

* * *

Miles away a raven cawed balefully, taking off as the treetop was kissed by morning light. As the branch rebounded from the weight a pine cone fell loose, dropping to the forest floor and hitting a soft bed of grass before rolling to a stop at the base of a thin tree.

A squirrel shot up the trunk to examine a foreign object hanging by a nail in the wood. It nibbled on the edge, quickly deeming the thing non-edible. Small black beady eyes blankly reflected the drawing of a stick figure extending a long fingered hand towards it. Quick breathing. No food. The squirrel jumped from the trunk and scampered off as a cricket stopped chirping.


End file.
